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Howard Winn

Percy Weatherall, the former Jardine taipan, was spotted supporting Cancer Research UK at a fun run on Sunday that ended at Big Wave Bay beach.
The big man cut a dashing figure in a rather splendid country hacking jacket as he cheered in the mostly lycra-clad youngsters. He also stood out for helping in the good fight against the big-C while smoking a huge stogie. Jardines certainly has a lot of pull down in Shek O through the Shek O Development Co, which manages the golf course and vets which fat cat gets to live in the 20 or so tycoon houses in the surrounding hills.
Still, we are not sure this influence extends to an exception from the no-smoking rule on bathing beaches run by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
Annells back in court
For those of you following the case of tax consultant Deborah Annells, we can report that she was back in court last Friday. She appeared before Magistrate Jason Wan Siu-ming at Eastern Magistracy and was committed for trial, though no dates have been set yet, and was remanded in custody.
She faces 55 counts of theft and fraud involving more than HK$36 million, and the case will be heard in the High Court. She also faces charges of doing an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, attempted fraud, and possessing a false instrument. These last three charges will be heard in the District Court at a time to be determined shortly. However the question of whether or not Annells is eligible for legal aid remains unresolved.
The Legal Aid Department has been investigating this matter since the middle of last year. Annells said at a previous hearing that she had "absolutely no money". Annells is the founder and former CEO of AzureTax, which specialised in arranging the tax affairs of expatriates.
Oil for toilet paper
The government of Trinidad and Tobago is reported to have made an offer to Venezuela to swap tissue paper for oil.
Bloomberg reports that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar suggested an oil-for-tissue (and other goods) swap at a news conference last week.
Trinidad has plenty of natural gas but is short of oil, while Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves but citizens have to line up outside supermarkets for hours for detergent, toilet paper or cooking oil. Price controls and a lack of dollars for importers have emptied stores of many basic goods, a situation the government blames on hoarders conducting an "economic war" against his socialist government.
The fact that this kind of trade is being talked about shows just how much pressure Venezuela is under. In 2013 the shortage of toilet paper threatened to destabilise the country according to President Nicholas Maduro, who undertook an emergency importation of 50 million rolls of the stuff to ease rising tensions.
Spocking fives
Canadians have been urged to "Spock" their banknotes to commemorate the passing of the much loved Leonard Nimoy and the character, Mr Spock, that he played in the Star Trek franchise.
"Spocking fives," we learn from the website Quartz, involves tracing the distinctive Spock hairline over the face of Canada's seventh prime minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, who features on Canada's five dollar note. "Spocking" is not new as Spock fans had already noticed the potential offered by the austere lines of Laurier's features. But the practice has acquired renewed interest with Nimoy's death.
Have you got any stories that Lai See should know about? Email them to howard.winn@scmp.com


Former Jardines taipan caught 'in flagrante delicto' on the beach

Canadian tribute to Mr Spock.

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Lai See