CaribPR Wire

Conference provides free venue for HIV stakeholders in the Caribbean to network and to hear from some of the most well-respected names in HIV

 NASSAU, The Bahamas, Oct. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Distinguished experts, public officials, and HIV community members will come together at the 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference (November 18–21) to focus on HIV in the Caribbean, where adult HIV prevalence is higher than in any region in the world outside of Sub-Saharan Africa (UNAIDS 2010 Global Report). Individuals from across the Caribbean are invited to attend this free conference to hear directly from authorities on the medical, social, and socio-political factors influencing the HIV epidemic in this region. Featured speakers and session moderators will include, among others:

-          The Honorable Hubert A. Ingraham, Prime Minister of The Bahamas

-          The Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams, Prime Minister of St. Maarten

-          Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, United States

-          Dr.  Jean William Pape, Weill Cornell Medical College, Les Centres GHESKIO, Haiti

-          Dr. J. Peter Figueroa, The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica

-          Dr. Ernest Massiah, Caribbean Regional Support Team, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, Trinidad and Tobago

-          Dr. Farley Cleghorn, Futures Group, United States

-          Ms. Geeta Sethi, United Nations Population Fund, Jamaica

 This event is the third Caribbean HIV conference in the past decade, and it is designed to build on successes of the previous events, which demonstrated that regional cooperation and collaboration are key to confronting HIV in the Caribbean. The multidisciplinary forum is designed to support local interests and education and is open to anyone who would like to attend, including:

• people living with HIV
• members of vulnerable groups
• researchers and clinicians
• allied health care professionals
• caregivers
• patient advocates
• advocates for social justice and health parity
• members of community- and faith-based organizations
• regional and international governmental representatives
• policy analysts and decision makers
• civil society and regional media representatives

 ”The conference provides a unique opportunity for attendees with diverse perspectives and backgrounds to share, learn, and network,” said Conference Co-Chair Daisy M. Gely, Professor, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico. “It provides a venue in which to examine the many factors influencing HIV in the Caribbean in order to move forward collectively in our effort to prevent the spread of HIV, mitigate its impact in the region, and improve our overall response.”

 The conference will be conducted in both English and Spanish. To view the full conference program, visit http://www.2011CaribbeanHIVConference.org/agenda; to register, visit https://www.2011caribbeanhivconference.org/Registration.

 More About the 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference:

The 2011 Caribbean HIV conference will take place from November 18–21, 2011, at the Atlantis Conference Center in Nassau, The Bahamas.

 The conference is sponsored by the Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas; Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico; and Office of AIDS Research, NIH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to Prof. Gely, Conference Co-Chairs are Dr. Perry Gomez, Director, National AIDS Programme, Princess Margaret Hospital, Ministry of Health, The Bahamas; and Dr. Jack Whitescarver, NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research and Director, Office of AIDS Research, NIH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Partners for the conference include: Caribbean Community (CARICOM); Caribbean Health Research Council (CHRC); Caribbean Regional Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS (CRN+); Caribbean Treatment Action Group (CTAG); Caribbean Vulnerable Communities (CVC) Coalition; Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); Kerzner International, National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC); Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO); Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP); U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); Trans-Caribbean HIV/AIDS Research Initiative (TCHARI); and The University of the West Indies (UWI).

NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS — On Tuesday, 5 July, the government of The Bahamas will announce new protections for sharks in the country’s waters, approximately 630,000 square kilometers (243,244 square miles). This declaration is the result of a partnership between the Pew Environment Group and The Bahamas National Trust, which began just as a major Bahamian seafood company announced its intention in September 2010 to catch sharks and export their fins.

 WHO:

Lawrence S. Cartwright, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, The Bahamas

Earl Deveaux, Minister of Environment, The Bahamas

Eric Carey, executive director of The Bahamas National Trust (BNT)

Matt Rand, director of global shark conservation, Pew Environment Group

 WHAT:

Press conference announcing new protections for sharks in The Bahamas.

 WHY:

The Bahamas is one of the premier shark-watching destinations for divers. According to the Bahamas Diving Association, shark related tourism has contributed more than US$800 million dollars to the Bahamian economy over the past 20 years. The country’s 20-year-old ban on longline fishing gear has left Bahamian waters as one of the few places in the world where sharks are still thriving, but there have been no specific protections for sharks until now.

 WHEN:

8:00 a.m., Tuesday, 5 July, 2011

 WHERE:

British Colonial Hilton Nassau, 1 Bay Street, Nassau, N-7148

 CALL-IN:

Passcode is “Sharks”

1-800-311-9403 for U.S.-based reporters

1-800-867-1164 for Bahamas-based reporters

+1 334-323-7224 for all others

 PLEASE RSVP IN ADVANCE

 B-ROLL AND STILLS WILL BE AVAILABLE:
Contact: Dan Klotz, +1 202-887-8855 or [email protected] for details

CaribPR Wire, MIAMI, FL, Weds. April 6, 2011: BlackBerry® Travel™, an application that provides BlackBerry® smartphone users with an all-in-one integrated tool to plan, book, manage and share travel activities quickly and easily, is now available in the major markets of the Caribbean.

The new app was recently announced in February at MWC 2011 in Barcelona and is now ready for download for BlackBerry users in the following markets: Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Bahamas, Aruba, Cayman Islands, Virgin Islands and US Virgin Islands.

The BlackBerry Travel app offers convenient push notifications and seamless integration of travel itineraries and flight status updates into the familiar BlackBerry Calendar.  When a new booking confirmation or itinerary arrives in the user’s email inbox, the BlackBerry Travel app is automatically updated with the relevant itinerary details, which makes travel planning and management easier than ever. With the BlackBerry push technology, the BlackBerry Travel app can keep users informed and in control of their itineraries by monitoring flight statuses and promptly providing notifications about changes to their flight information. The app can even identify potential omissions or scheduling concerns with their itineraries, such as missing accommodations or timing conflicts, and provide users with suggestions.

The BlackBerry Travel app also brings together tools that travelers need while planning on the go, including:

• Hotel booking
• Currency converters
• Weather forecasts
• Local search functionality

In addition, BlackBerry smartphone users can share their travel information with colleagues, friends and family over email or through LinkedIn®, directly from the BlackBerry Travel app. The LinkedIn integration allows users to search for people in their network who will be in the same city, send messages to contacts and update their status.

The BlackBerry Travel app also features a web component that allows users to book flights and car rentals, as well as edit and print itineraries, from their computer.

The BlackBerry Travel app was built in collaboration with WorldMate, a leader in mobile travel platforms.  WorldMate and RIM are working together with leaders in the travel industries such as Continental Airlines, Expedia Affiliate Network, Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, United Airlines to provide BlackBerry Travel app users with an amazing mobile experience.

The BlackBerry Travel app will be available as of today from BlackBerry App World™ (www.blackberry.com/appworld). The app is free and works on select BlackBerry smartphones running the BlackBerry® 5 OS (Device Software) or higher.* For more information please visit www.blackberry.com/travel

* BlackBerry Travel is available at launch for the BlackBerry® Bold™, BlackBerry® Curve™, BlackBerry® Storm™ and BlackBerry® Torch™ series of smartphones.

GRAND BAHAMA, Bahamas, Dec. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — ICD Utilities Limited (ICD – BISX) announced today the closing of the transfer of 1,073,917 common shares (representing 10.74% of its shares) to Halifax based Emera Inc. (EMA – TSX) for $7.40 per share.  Emera purchased the ICD Utilities (ICD) shares from MaruEnergy Grand Bahama Limited, an indirect subsidiary of Marubeni TAQA Caribbean Ltd., as part of a transaction announced on December 2nd. 

 In 2008 Emera Inc. acquired 50 per cent of ICD. Today’s closing increases Emera’s interest in ICDU from 50 to 60 per cent. The remaining 40 per cent of ICD is held by individual shareholders. Emera also now owns majority interest (80.4 per cent) of Grand Bahama Power Limited.

 About ICD Utilities Limited

 ICD Utilities Limited (”ICD”) is a holding company incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas for the purpose of ownership of a 50% shareholding of Grand Bahama Power Company Limited.  ICD is listed on the Bahamas International Securities Exchange under the symbol ICD.  Prior to this transaction Emera Inc. owned 50% of ICD.

 About Emera Inc.

 (EMA and EMA.PR.A -TSX) is an energy and services company with $5.8 billion Canadian dollars in assets. Electricity is Emera’s core business. Approximately 94% of Emera’s revenues are earned by Nova Scotia Power Inc (NSPI), Bangor Hydro Electric Company (BHE) and the Brunswick Pipeline. NSPI and BHE are wholly-owned regulated electric utilities which together serve 603,000 customers. The Brunswick Pipeline is a 145 km gas pipeline in New Brunswick. Emera also owns Maine and Maritimes Corporation, the parent company of Maine Public Service Company, a regulated electric utility serving approximately 36,000 electricity customers in Northern Maine and MAM Services Group. In the Caribbean, Emera owns 19% of St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited, which serves more than 50,000 customers on the island of St. Lucia, 80.4% of Grand Bahama Power Company which serves 19,000 customers on the island of Grand Bahama and 38% of Light & Power Holdings, which serves 120,000 customers on the island of Barbados through its regulated electric utility, The Barbados Light and Power Company. In addition to its electric utility investments, Emera owns Bayside Power, a 260 MW gas-fired power plant in Saint John, New Brunswick; Emera Energy Services, a physical natural gas and power marketing and asset management business; a joint venture interest in Bear Swamp, a 600 megawatt pumped storage hydro-electric facility in northern Massachusetts; a 12.9% interest in the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline; and an 8.2% interest in Open Hydro.