(CNS):  Everything from work permits to house sales suffered a serious decline in the Cayman Islands during the first half of 2009 according to the Economic and Statistics Office. The Semi Annual Report released on Friday reveals just how badly the global economic crisis affected the local economy from January to June this year. New company registration fell by 46.2%, imports declined by 13%, the total value of property transfers slumped by 43.3%, bank and trust company registrations fell by 3.9% and mutual funds licenses dropped by 2.1%. Tourism was also in the doldrums with air arrivals falling by 13.3%, while cruise passengers decreased by 6.1%.

(CNS): Despite the fact that the director of the Department of the Environment listed more than eleven major areas that will not now be examined in the new Environmental Impact Assessment for the port development, Mark Scotland said he preferred to say that the ToR have been changed rather than reduced.  The minister with responsibility for the Environment told News 27 that, while the DoE has a say in the drafting of the EIA terms of reference for the new cruise berthing facility in George Town, the final decision would be a joint effort between the developer, DECCO and the ministry.

(CNS): The Ministry of Community Affairs and Housing has engaged an overseas community development consultant to train staff from the Community Development Unit of the Department of Children and Family Services in community outreach techniques. The ministry said the move is aimed at strengthening community outreach and closer collaboration with government agencies and the people. Minister Mike Adam said that partnership between government and the community is critical and government staff must harness their skills in order to engage citizens in their own development.

(CNS): According to the popular US television show, America’s Most Wanted, alleged arsonist James Lyman Hill may be in the Cayman Islands. Hill, who reportedly set his girlfriend’s house ablaze in 1997 when she broke up with him, has apparently faked his own death twice. While police in the US believe he is still alive, his whereabouts are unknown but several sources place Hill in the Cayman Islands, AMW reports. He is described as a white 66-year-old man, 6 feet high and 200 lbs. Police say he is a heavy drinker and abusive to women. Hill is a carpenter by trade and may be working as a handyman.

(CNS): Cayman Airways has denied that a crack in the outer non-structural layer of the co-pilot's windshield on flight KX 103 this morning (Saturday 14 November) from Miami to Grand Cayman caused an emergency landing.  A spokesperson for the airline confirmed that the aircraft descended to a lower cruising altitude for the flight but the captain did not declare an emergency.  CAL said however that it had been advised that an incorrect "emergency" status was released by Cuban air authorities after they had approved the flight’s precautionary decent over its airspace.

(Bloomberg): The UK Serious Fraud Office has opened a criminal investigation into the hedge fund firm Dynamic Decisions Capital Management Ltd. after receiving complaints about its investment activities. Dynamic Decisions’ main hedge fund is being liquidated by court-appointed administrators in the Cayman Islands after investors raised questions about some of its holdings. The fund’s liquidators said it was separately investigating corporate bonds purchased late last year. The SFO, which prosecutes white-collar crime, opened the probe into the Dynamic Decisions fund after the matter was referred to it by the U.K. Financial Services Authority.

(CNS): What seemed to be a brief reprieve in Cayman’s crime wave came to end early this morning when a couple had to fight off two men who attempted to invade their home. The incident, which occurred at Palm Springs, South Church Street, was reported to the 911 Emergency Communications Centre at approximately 1:45am. The couple told police that as they were going into their residence they were approached by two men, and as they attempted to close the door of their home, one of the men forced his way inside. There was a short struggle but both suspects ran from the scene on to the main South Sound Road.

(CNS): Cosima “Tiggi” Kohl, a student in 3C at Cayman Prep, has donated a tree to a local marine preservation charity through “Smile Africa!”, a project set up by the 7 year old together with her mother, Jane Wareham. The tree has been donated to raise funds for the protection of maritime life in the Cayman Islands using decorations hand made in Southern Africa. One of the most rewarding results of the decoration of the tree donated by Smile Africa! is that the purchase of the ornaments are donated to sponsor children in Africa. A total of ninety children will receive food and clothing through the US registered charity, Charity USA and the Child Health Site.

(CNS): Jonathan Doak has set a new world record, pending approval from the International Game Fishing Association, for catching an Escolar weighing in at 125 lbs. Doak caught the fish, which is known in restaurants as white tuna, on a 50-lb test line while aboard Run Things with Captain Charles Ebanks and Emil Terry on 3 Nov. Out fishing for swordfish off South Sound in approximately 1800 feet of water, Doak set his bait at 800 feet, and the fight reportedly lasted approximately 20 minutes. The official detailing and paperwork was conducted at Harbour House Marina on 4 November with members of the Cayman Islands Fishing Association, who officially weighed the fish and were provided with the leader used to catch the whopper.

(CNS): Unlucky or not, what maybe the last ever national festival under the pirate moniker gets underway tonight (Friday 13 November) with the George Town Street party, the Pirate Costume Competition, Miss Festival Queen Costume Competition, fireworks and the National Song competition sponsored by Digicel. Whether this is the last Pirates Week is still in question but for this year at least the pirates are here and ready to party. UPDATE: the 5km swim set for Saturday morning has been cancelled.

(CNS): Although the Operation Tempura investigation team ran up a bill of literally millions and millions of dollars, one of the prosecution’s main witnesses in the case against Lyndon Martin is struggling to get a few thousand dollars back after he was left out of pocket as a result of the investigation. John Evans’ expenses claim for $4,898 was incurred, he says, because he stayed in the Cayman Islands at the request of the special police investigation team for court appearances relating to the trial. According to recent correspondence, however, the commissioner of police has refused to pay Evans as he says that SPIT have denied making any such request of him.

(Scottish Sun): A Jail boss who swapped Scotland for the Cayman Islands has revealed how he has transformed the country's prisons.  Tough-talking Bill Rattray has overseen a remarkable turnaround on the paradise isle, which has far lower levels of violence and drug abuse than his homeland.  Now the 57-year-old wants to use his experience to help reduce violence in the Scottish prison system when he returns in two years' time.

(CNS): Following the news today (Thursday 12 November) that Tom Jones International has stopped work on the two government high school development projects again, the Ministry of Education has denied that it is behind on any payments due to the general contractor. Education Minister Rolston Anglin said that the ministry was advised by TJI that it was stopping work as it did not believe that the Cayman Islands government had sufficient funds to complete the projects. However, Anglin said that, as outlined in the budget, government now has the money to meet its obligations for these projects and is surprised by TJI’s actions.

(CNS): In the wake of considerable controversy and opposition from almost all quarters of the legal profession regarding the premier’s move to slash legal aid funding and change the way it is managed, the governor has said the funding must be put back until the proposal has been properly examined. Stuart Jack said a committee would now consider the initiative as proposed by Bush, but in the meantime the current system must be adequately funded. In an unexpected announcement during Finance Committee last month, McKeeva Bush said he was going to change the way legal aid was administered and set up a legal aid clinic under his ministry run by two local lawyers.

(CNS): Workers at the two new public high schools have been told to down tools yet again, as the dispute between the government and developer Tom Jones International (TJI) rolls on. CNS understands that work at the John Gray High School has already ground to a halt today (Thursday 12 November) and that workers at the Clifton Hunter site have been told to stop work there from tomorrow. CNS also understands that TJI paid off sub-contractors which does not bode well for a return to work any time soon.