(CNS): Government has still not confirmed if it will be implementing a pensions holiday or a pensions suspension or whether the civil service’s pension contributions will be made for August. CNS understands that although salary slips will show that 12% contributions (and not 0.25%) have been made to the civil service pension fund for this month, chief financial officers may be directed not to write cheques for the 12% to the pension board. There are now two fundamental questions relating to the freeze of civil servants pensions that have not been answered. One is whether the payments will ever be paid back and the second is how and when the suspension can begin.

(CNS): Following a visit to an agricultural show in Jamaica recently, the minister with responsibility for agriculture says that she wants to improve local agricultural production, encourage more people to grow food in their yards and introduce farming classes into schools. “In these times of global recession, we must find new ways to improve local agricultural productivity to assure the islands’ food security,” Juliana O’Connor-Connolly said, adding that with Cayman’s limited agricultural land farmers needed to utilise green house technologies.

(CNS): In the face of public criticisms, Education Minister Rolston Anglin has defended his recent announcement to delay the implementation of the Education Modernisation Law (2009), which was passed in the Legislative Assembly in March of the year with his support. Anglin said he still unequivocally supported the bill, as he did in opposition, but that he was not prepared to compromise its effectiveness by enacting it without the necessary structures that will make it work. The minister said the law was skeletal in nature, leaving more of the specifics to be defined in the regulations, which have not yet been written.

(CNS): Police said on Monday that they had arrested nine people in a special operation designed to target those who have failed to appear in court as bailed or had not paid fines imposed as punishment. Those netted owed between them over $16,000 to the court system and two of those arrested were given prison sentences of 70 days and 27 months respectively. While another two people paid their fines immediately, the remainder were bailed by the court to appear again at a later date.

(CNS): In the wake of concerns raised by auditor general regarding government confidentiality clauses in contracts using public money and possible moves by the Public Accounts Committee to delay the public exposure of his office’s reports, Information Commissioner Jennifer Dilbert has offered her support to Dan Duguay and is urging the government to publish the auditor general’s reports in a timely fashion and to minimize the use of confidentiality clauses to shield contracts from the public.

(CNS): Two men who were nabbed by the joint Customs, Police and Immigration Marine Unit for smoking ganja while aboard a boat at Rum Point last month have been fined $600 by the courts after pleading guilty to possession and consumption of the drug. Police said the pair was arrested on Sunday, 19 July after the marine unit had received complaints that ganja was being smoked in the area.  “We often receive complaints from people about ganja being smoked at Rum Point on the weekends,” said Inspector Brad Ebanks. “This is a popular destination for families and small children and it’s a real concern for parents.”

(CNS) : Police said this morning that the Criminal Investigation Department in George Town has begun an enquiry into the robbery of two men which occurred in the vicinity of the Tortuga factory on North Sound Road on Friday night (21 August). The men said they had been threatened by two robbers who had what appeared to be a hand gun as they demanded cash and then made their escape in a vehicle. Officers are now appealing for anyone in the area who may’ve seen something to come forward.

(CNS): Camana Bay is to provide the new venue for the sixth annual Cayman Jazz Fest, which takes place this December with headline act Alicia Keys (left). Joining the nine-time Grammy Award winner, will be R&B legend, Keith Sweat; eight-time Grammy nominee jazz saxophonist, Kirk Whalum; soul vocalist, Oleta Adams; multi-year Cayman jazz fest performer, Mike Phillips; Peabo Bryson; and Everette Harp. For the last five years the event was held on Pageant Beach. However, after what was described as months of negotiation, the festival will be moved to Grand Cayman’s newest neighbourhood.

(CNS):  The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority has confirmed that Appleby is the first law firm in the Cayman Islands to utilise the “merger provisions” for two CIMA registered mutual funds following the amendment of the Cayman Islands Companies Law in April of this year. Until the changes a Cayman company could only combine with another company by way of “arrangement” which required the parties involved to apply to the Grand Court for approval. This Certificate of Merger signifies the first CIMA registered mutual fund structure to make use of the amendment.

(CNS): Stefania Fernandez was crowned Miss Universe 2009 on Sunday night, giving her country its sixth ‘tiara’ in the international beauty pageant. Fernandez, an 18-year-old brunette, became the 58th winner of the title in a show broadcast live around the world from the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in the Bahamas. It was the second consecutive year that a contestant from the South American country, which is famous for its beauty queens, won the Miss Universe title. Venezuela has produced five previous winners the most of any country. Fernandez was selected out of five finalists chosen from the total field of 83 contestants. The first runner-up this year was Miss Dominican Republic, Ada Aimee de la Cruz.

(CNS): The referral to the Privy Council of the Justice Priya Levers case could add as much as $2 million to the overall total cost, estimated already be in the region of $3 million, all of which will come from the cash strapped Cayman purse. CNS understands from legal experts that although the Privy Council will not hear from witnesses when they take up the case, it will hear from both Justice Levers’ legal team and the legal representatives of the tribunal. So far all of Justice Levers’ costs and those incurred by the tribunal itself, as well as the various other legal teams provided for the judicial services, the prosecution services and the chief justice, have been paid for by the CI government.

(CNS): The recent appearance of pictures on the social networking site ‘Facebook’ of guides lifting stingrays from the water at the sandbar has prompted the Department of  Environment to remind people that mishandling these creatures could see them incurring fines of up to CI$½ million and even a year’s prison sentence. The marine conservation law prohibits anyone from taking the stingrays out of the water and there is now a dedicated enforcement officer from the DoE stationed at Stingray City and the Sandbar to keep an eye on the welfare of the marine creatures.

(Telegraph): Prince Harry has been taken to wearing a Rastafarian disguise in an effort to go out in public without being recognised, it has been claimed. The Prince is understood to have developed an alter-ego named Winston in a "light-hearted" attempt to disguise his identity. However, his choice of dress could be seen as controversial. Four years ago he was heavily criticised for wearing a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress party, and in January this year he was caught on camera calling a fellow Army officer a "Paki". The Prince has been seen wearing the "Winston" outfit on a night out at a warehouse party in East London.

(CNS): Police said on Saturday (22 August) that they have begun an investigation into the death of 62-year-old man on Friday afternoon. According to the RCIPS the 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a call at 12pm stating that an ambulance was required for man who had collapsed at Eden Rock Diving Centre, George Town after swimming in the sea. Medics responded to the scene where CPR was being conducted by dive staff and the man was then taken to hospital but was unfortunately pronounced dead.

(CNS): People over the age of 25 are being given the opportunity to take part in wide ranging and intense six month leadership programme run by the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce. The industry body said the course is designed to promote and enhance community leadership through a series of in-depth seminars and retreats that will focus on social, economic, business and political issues in the Cayman Islands.  (Left Jeff Brandes the driving force behind Leadership Cayman.)