ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com sports | page 16 rattlesnakes squirm, then bite Texas visitors play Cayman twice High of 90 Low of 79 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. editorial | page 4 Fiscal prudence: the road not traveled Road User If luck isn’t on your side, BritCay is. Extra benefits come without having to pay more premium if you insure your car with BritCay. BritCay also has a great reputation for settling claims fast. Ask for a quote. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky FREE $10 Million ASSET PROT ECTIO N! with motor cover* *private motor insurance cgigrp proposed new labour law gets public review kelsey Jukam kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Key issues in the Cayman Islands pro- posed new Labour Law, including worker contract requirements for employers and closing loopholes to reduce structural dis- crimination against Caymanian employees, were discussed Tuesday night in the first of several public hearings on the rewritten law. Government officials met with mem- bers of the public at the Sir John A. Cumber Primary School in West Bay. Minister of Employment Tara Rivers ex- plained the new Labour Relations Bill in de- tail before the floor was opened to the public for questions and suggestions. Ms. Rivers was joined by Labour Department Director Mario Ebanks, who led the public feedback portion of the evening. The new Labour Law, still in draft stage, repeals the 2011 Labour Law and the 2004 Employment Law, which were never imple- mented. The Labour Law was enacted in 1987 and has been amended eight times. But Ms. Rivers said that, “in essence,” the current Labour Law had not been changed signifi- cantly in almost 30 years. She said government has been grappling Divers find handcuffs attached to cement block Cayman Islands police are examining a pair of handcuffs found attached to a metal rod encased in a cement block in the waters off Seven Mile Beach. Scuba divers found the hand- cuffs and cement block just off the coast of a hotel resort property last weekend, but the items were not brought ashore until Tuesday. “One ring of the handcuffs is cuffed to a metal bar at the top of the block, while the other ring is cuffed to a jagged, flat piece of metal,” a police press re- lease describing the find stated. “The purpose of the block and handcuffs is undetermined at this time.” The cuffs and the cement block had obviously been un- derwater for quite some time, based on photographs taken by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Anyone who might have further information about the handcuffs is asked to call George Town Police Station at 949-4222. Gallon of Gas up 55 cents in four months brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Regular, unleaded self-serve gasoline prices have gone up by an average of 55 cents per gallon since mid-March, a Cayman Compass examination of retail prices has revealed. The average price at retail stations, which had dipped to $4.15 per gallon by March 18 was $4.71 per gallon in early July, ac- cording to the latest figures provided by the Petroleum Inspectorate. However, at some stations, prices had in- creased within the past two weeks to around $4.90 per gallon on Wednesday, a more than 70 cent increase since mid-March. The United States retail petroleum market has seen a marked increase in gasoline prices since January, but the March to July increase was averaging around 35 cents per gallon. Fuel prices in the U.S. rose to an average of US$2.42 as of March 23. In mid-February, the average price was $2.30 per gallon of regular, unleaded gas, up from a January low, on av- erage, of $2.05 per gallon. On Wednesday, the national average for unleaded retail gasoline in the U.S. was $2.77. Meanwhile, the average price per barrel of Brent Crude has dropped since mid-May, ending at US$57.42 on Wednesday. Cayman Islands Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts, who has oversight responsibility for the local oil and gas industry, said earlier this year that he had “given up” the hope of negoti- ating fuel prices with the oil companies after years of private talks with Chevron-Texaco and Esso, now Sol Petroleum and Rubis. British Navy ship moors in george town The British Navy landed in Grand Cayman Wednesday morning to take part in disaster relief exercises. The ship’s Lynx helicopter took a flight over the island as the ship moored in the George Town harbor. RFA Lyme Bay is scheduled to remain in Grand Cayman for five days. - photo: taneos ramsaY The cement block that was brought ashore Tuesday along Seven Mile Beach. – photo: rcips PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » – 50 CENTS – thursday July 16, 20152 Thursday July 16, 2015 • Cayman Compass REGIONAL www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - THURSDAY - $8.00 MINIONS 3D (PG) 1:20 I 4:10 2D I 7:10 I 9:30 2D TERMINATOR GENISYS 3D (PG13) 1:05 I 3:40 2D I 7:00 I 9:40 2D INSIDE OUT 3D (PG) 1:10 2D I 4:00 I 7:15 2D I 9:45 THE GALLOWS (R) 12:50 I 2:55 I 5:05 I 7:30 I 10:10 JURASSIC WORLD 3D (PG13) 1:00 I 3:45 2D I 6:30 I 9:15 2D MAX (PG) 12:45 I 3:20 MAGIC MIKE XXL (R) 7:20 I 10:05 Colombia’s path to peace littered with land mines GRANADA, Colombia (AP) – At first, Sandra Gonzalez didn’t think much of the guerrillas burying objects on the dirt road outside her isolated, cinder-block farmhouse as they prepared to leave town 12 years ago. But soon cows and horses began to die, ripped apart by exploding land mines. Then a neighbor lost his life. From then on, neither Gonzalez nor her four children have dared to turn right walking out the door. “When the livestock es- caped from the corral, no- body would chase after them,” Gonzalez said. Tens of thousands of land mines are among the most sinister scars of Colombia’s half-century conflict. And even as the government and rebels hold slow-moving peace talks in Cuba, more are being planted, perhaps faster than old ones can be removed. Dressed head to toe in an astronaut-like armored suit, soldier Albeiro Jose Acuna kneels on the ground combing for explosives. Minutes feel like hours as the army tech- nician advances centimeter by centimeter with a paint brush and tweezers to in- spect every suspect object before declaring it safe to tread. Information about the exact location of the mines is scarce to nonexistent. “Any small mistake can take your life,” says Acuna. A bead of sweat dripping from his face, less from the ten- sion, he says, than the suf- focating heat in this jun- gled valley a few hours from Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city. “This is no place to be nervous.” Colombia is the world’s second-deadliest country for land mines, behind Afghanistan, with more than 2,000 people killed and 11,000 maimed or wounded by shrapnel since 1990, ac- cording to the government. About a third of the victims are civilians. Most of the hidden killers were planted by re- treating members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia as part of a strategy to protect them- selves from pursuit by sowing terror in the minds of their battlefield enemies. For at least a decade, an army battalion, now com- manded by Col. Andres Goyeneche, has been in an uphill struggle to remove mines in areas no longer con- tested by the rebels. Goyeneche said the bat- talion has removed 4,400 mines so far, but according to government estimates, at the current pace and with the technology available, it would take 47 years to cer- tify Colombia is clear of land mines even if no more are planted. For every explosive that is removed, at an estimated cost of $1,000 per device, several more are assembled using cheap, readily available mate- rials such as coffee tins, fer- tilizer and syringes, he said. “Every guerrilla can carry four or five (explosives) in their backpack,” he said. “There are ones that deto- nate with movement, others covered in excrement so dogs can’t detect them, and they’re even placed inside soccer balls. … You can make mines in as many ways as your imagination allows you to spread evil.” The FARC have promised to stop using land mines, something Colombia’s army did in 2000 when it signed an international treaty. But though their use has decreased, the weapons con- tinue to be part of the rebels’ arsenal. Just last month, more than 400,000 people in the port city of Buenaventura went four days without elec- tricity after rebels blew up a transmission tower and then fenced the wreckage with land mines, making it impos- sible for work crews to enter. The attack and others like it have been turning Colombians against peace talks in Cuba. For the first time since the start of ne- gotiations three years ago, support for a military so- lution to the conflict now surpasses backing for the talks, according to a Gallup poll last month. An agreement on land mines struck in March was supposed to breathe life into the talks, building trust among longtime adversaries and providing the first tan- gible benefit for poor commu- nities like Granada that have been torn by years of war, massacres and neglect by a distant government. Cuba parliament live-tweets meeting HAVANA (AP) – Cuba’s par- liament opened one of its twice-annual regular ses- sions Wednesday with a new twist: It’s been reporting the event through the day with updates on Twitter and Facebook. President Raul Castro was attending the gathering and was expected to make his first public comments since the United States and Cuba announced they will re-es- tablish diplomatic relations on Monday and reopen em- bassies in each other’s re- spective capitals. State-run website Cubadebate reported that the National Assembly was con- sidering a final budget re- port for 2014 and the status of Cuba’s economic plan over the first half of this year. Foreign journalists were not allowed access and the meeting was not tele- vised, although portions of the proceedings are usu- ally broadcast on state TV later in the day. But on its recently acti- vated Twitter account and Facebook page, both of which apparently went live July 11, the National Assembly was publishing snippets from Wednesday’s gathering. Cubadebate confirmed the two accounts’ authenticity. The early messages were not dramatic. One re- ported parliament president Esteban Lazo had called the body to order with hom- ages to 19th-century inde- pendence figure Mariana Grajales, known here as the “mother of Cuba.” It’s a highly unusual use of social media for a country that has largely fallen behind much of the world in terms of Internet connectivity, and is unlikely to be seen in real- time by many on the island. Cubans are increas- ingly using the likes of Facebook and Twitter as au- thorities slowly expand con- nectivity options, but most islanders are able to con- nect only sporadically and briefly, limited by both cost and scant bandwidth. Air Force lAunches GPs sAtellite on AtlAs V rocket CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – The Air Force has a new advanced GPS satellite in orbit. An unmanned Atlas V rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station late Wednesday morning. It hoisted the 10th in the Air Force’s latest-generation of GPS satellites. On-board cameras showed the launch pad below, then the clear out- line of the cape as the rocket climbed through a hazy sky and out over the Atlantic. First Lt. Alain Sothikhoun says the next GPS launch is scheduled for October. He says each new generation of GPS of- fers improved accuracy. Sothikhoun says more than 1 billion people use the GPS navigation system any given day. In all, more than 30 GPS satellites are orbiting our world. Friday marks the 20th anniver- sary of when GPS was de- clared fully operational. Cuba’s President Raul Castro, left, speaks with Marino Murillo, vice president of the Council of Ministers, during a National Assembly session in Havana, Cuba on Wednesday. – Photo: AP Boys pass a farm marked with tape and signs warning of land mines in Cocorna, Colombia. Soldiers are searching for and removing live land mines in rural areas like Cocorna, clearing farms and roads mined by rebels so residents can return to their homes. – Photo: AP us soccer chieF Felt ‘discomFort’ durinG FiFA ProceedinGs WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. Soccer Federation chief executive and secretary general Dan Flynn says he had no direct knowl- edge of bribery or kick- backs exchanged by FIFA officials but experienced moments of “discomfort” during meetings. Flynn, testifying at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing Wednesday, cited methods of voting used during meetings of CONCACAF, FIFA’s subsidiary in North and Central America and the Caribbean. Former CONCACAF presidents Jack Warner and Jeffrey Webb were among the 14 men in- dicted in late May in the U.S. Justice Department’s ongoing corruption inves- tigation of soccer’s gov- erning body.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday July 16, 2015 Electric cars set for Cuba trade show, export Tad STonEr tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com John Felder’s project to supply Cuba with its first electric vehicles has taken another step forward as he readies his products for the annual Havana trade show in October. The founder of Cayman Automotive said he will ship three electric vehicles to Havana for the autumn show, immediately followed in November by the delivery of other electrical cars in Cayo Largo, a popular eco-tourist island off the south coast of the country, 50 miles from the capital. “I’ll be taking three vehi- cles with me” to Havana, Mr. Felder said. “A 14-passenger bus, a small commercial truck and a Nissan Leaf.” None of the three is likely to be among as many as 10 contracted vehicles set to serve the Cayo Largo tourist trade, he said. Citing proprie- tary restraints, Mr. Felder de- clined to name the make and model of the chosen cars. Initially signed in March last year, the Cayo Largo deal came as a result of con- tacts between Mr. Felder and Cuba’s Ministry of Industry. The project seeks to reduce Cuba’s depen- dence on imported oil, espe- cially from Venezuela, and will be a testing ground for nationwide adoption of electric vehicles. Vital to the experiment will be creation of a net- work of solar charging sta- tions, one or two on Cayo Largo, then on three smaller nearby islands, followed, Felder hopes, by construction across the Cuban mainland. Saskatchewan-based Sun Country Highway, with a net- work of 1,000 charging sta- tions across Canada, will build the Cuban facilities, using lo- cally made solar panels. Mr. Felder owns eight charging stations across Grand Cayman, two of them built by Sun Country. A bare- essential charging facility can be created in a matter of hours at modest cost, he said. The Canadian company, he said, “will be with me at the trade show, and will do all the charging stations, all the infrastructure, every- thing.” Also with him will be U.S. electric vehicle manufac- turer Star Electric. The Cuban government, he says, will purchase the Cayo Largo electric vehi- cles and the charging sta- tions “for cash.” Ultimately, he envisions “hundreds of charging stations” across the country, as demand is boosted by growing num- bers of U.S. tourists, par- ticularly after Washington opens a new embassy at the end of July. He expects more than 100,000 attendees at the weeklong gathering, and, be- yond that, anticipates sig- nificant expansion of trade in the wake of the inau- guration of the U.S. dip- lomatic mission “We are on our way,” he said. “The embassy will open and an ambassador be named and the trade show will be the first time a U.S. flag will be displayed.” John Felder powers up one of his electric cars. – Photo: StePhen Clarke two Sent to Grand Court for firearm CharGeS CaroL WInKEr cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com After a preliminary inquiry in Summary Court on Wednesday, two people had firearm-re- lated charges committed to Grand Court for mention there on July 31. Jose Guadalupe Sanchez, 28, and Ashley Leticha Terry, 26, appeared before Magistrate Grace Donalds. Defense attor- neys Guy Dilliway-Parry and John Furniss agreed to a “short-form” inquiry, meaning that no witnesses had to be called. Sanchez is charged with possession of an un- licensed 9 mm semi-auto- matic pistol following an incident at the Everglo Bar in Bodden Town on the night of Saturday, July 4. Terry is charged with possession of the same firearm on the same date, plus being an accessory after the fact to Sanchez’s possession. The magis- trate continued Terry’s bail and remanded Sanchez in custody until the Grand Court date.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. The stretch of asphalt connecting the Owen Roberts International Airport to Seven Mile Beach ought to be a grand entryway into Grand Cayman – a beautiful boule- vard, fringed with fragrant flora and offering picturesque views to delight and soothe the senses of tourists and commuters alike. Instead, we have the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, a two- lane, utility pole-lined stretch of highway that careens past the dump. It’s ugly. It’s dangerous. And it smells. It is a most unsuitable welcome to the Cayman Islands. The deficiencies in aesthetics and safety of the “Harquail Bypass” – the southernmost stretch of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, that runs from the Butterfield roundabout to the Camana Bay roundabout – have been well-documented since the road opened in late 1997. We return today to this oft-covered ground, courtesy of the National Roads Authority’s recent attempt, in our view, to shift responsibility for this particular public road to a private developer; i.e., the Dart Group, which intends to build a widened four-lane road (and underpass) that will abut its soon-to-be expanded Camana Bay development. The Roads Authority aired concerns that the new four-lane road will create traffic bottlenecks where it meets the two-lane Harquail Bypass – in effect trans- ferring the congestion that currently occurs when the northern, four-lane section of the Esterley Tibbetts narrows to two lanes at the Galleria roundabout. The Dart Group countered, couched in the politest of possible terms, that “The improvement of the road south of Camana Bay is not in [Dart’s] remit.” In other words, it ain’t Dart’s problem. That being said, Dart and government have discussed Dart’s widening the Harquail Bypass in past years (as part of the ForCayman Investment Alliance), a conversation that was still very much alive as recently as this spring, according to Dart CEO Mark VanDevelde, who said the project would cost somewhere in the region of $10 million. That’s not a large amount, in terms of road infrastruc- ture, but it’s cash that Cayman’s government currently doesn’t have on hand – even though the public sector’s spending plan for the next year totals $735 million, with overall revenues of more than $850 million. Here’s the rub: Years, even decades, of extremely poor fiscal management have resulted in our government, even when coffers are flush with revenue, being unable to pay for needed infrastructure projects because it is beholden to previous financial commitments, such as civil service payroll, debt-servicing and ongoing subsidies for quasi-governmental business ventures. For example, the Harquail Bypass expansion could have been paid for several times over with the $57 million that government squandered from 2005-2014 on the unfinished sarcophagus of the new John Gray High School campus. Dubious decisions made by government in the past often lead to bad results down the road. So while Cayman’s public sector should have a nominal operating surplus of about $120 million next year, there won’t be enough left over to pay for a solution to the George Town landfill, a centralized sewer system for Grand Cayman, an airport renovation, a cruise dock, new major roads, a world-class college, or any of the above, after accounting for “outstanding bills” – much less pre- paring for the massive unfunded liabilities that loom for public healthcare. Forget about issuing a bond; Cayman has already maxed out its credit capacity and spent that money long ago. That’s why Cayman’s government is in the situa- tion it is now, approaching private entities (such as Dart, Ironwood developers, or the cruise lines) with hat in hand, variously begging or demanding that the private sector take on infrastructure projects that are normally thought of as the responsibility of the public sector. By their very nature, all such deals between govern- ment and private business come with “strings attached” or, as we call them in Cayman, “concessions.” Like it or not, the reality is that any major capital project that government wishes to pursue, in the near- to mid-term future, will have to be in partnership with a private entity. Since the private sector partner has the “gas money,” it deserves to have at least one hand on the steering wheel, and some entities – perhaps not Dart – may well insist on sitting in the driver’s seat. Fiscal prudence: The road not traveled Thursday JuLy 16, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” The UK economy is doing quite well, thank you Mark Gilbert Last week’s British budget has prompted no end of hand- wringing and fault-finding. While the British economy has some obvious flaws, much of the criticism ig- nores this simple fact: Britain is doing pretty well, thank you very much. With the economy growing, unemploy- ment down, the trade deficit shrinking and prosperity im- proving, it could even be an international poster child for the benefits of austerity. The election hangover is partly to blame for the nay- saying. While it can be dan- gerous to put too much em- phasis on what the man on the Clapham omnibus says, I’ve overheard enough con- versations in my local pub and on the bus to work each day to be reasonably confi- dent that London’s chattering classes, at least, still can’t quite believe what happened. The Conservatives won the election – by a majority that no opinion poll predicted. Moreover, being in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats seems to have taught the Tories the benefits of stealing whatever finery is hanging in your neighbor’s closet. You’d think Chancellor George Osborne might win plaudits for this mix-and- match approach. By leav- ening his Thatcherite tenden- cies with such innovations as a living wage and tax changes designed to benefit the poorest, he’s moving to- ward what he called “the new centre of British politics” in a BBC radio interview last week: “What we are saying to business is ‘pay higher wages but you get lower taxes.’ What we are saying to people is ‘you get a bigger pay check but there will be a less gen- erous benefit system.’ What we are saying to the country is ‘we are going to spend less but we are going to live within our means.’” That less-than-dogmatic approach isn’t winning the applause Osborne might have expected. The usually sober publication The Economist, for example, had this to say in uncharacteristically hyper- bolic mode: “This was a budget whose slick politics hid economics that were often wrong and sometimes dangerous. The flagship substitution of tax credits for wage floors is a bad mistake; cutting bene- fits to the very poor while re- ducing inheritance tax for the wealthy is indefensible.” Like it or not, the elec- tion victory gives the Conservatives a mandate to pursue their ideological pre- dilection for shrinking the public sector and cutting spending, even if those ambi- tions are shrouded under the banner of the need for aus- terity. Moreover, key elements of the economy are suffi- ciently rehabilitated since the financial crisis for the Tories to declare victory in the battle to deliver the best per- formance among the world’s major economies. Slow wage growth and millions of workforce dropouts, for example, have sufficiently dented optimism about the U.S. recovery to delay the raising of interest rates. In Britain, though, pay rises are finally starting to pick up. Most surprisingly, wages in the private sector (which includes burger flipping and other unskilled jobs) have caught up with the public sector (which is mostly white- collar desk jobs) for the first time in more than six years. Moreover, as the unem- ployment rate has dropped to a seven-year low of 5.5 percent, Osborne’s conten- tion that the private sector would absorb workers fired from government jobs as he cut spending has turned out to be true. It’s not all good news on the British economy, or Osborne’s budget. The Institute for Fiscal Studies reckons the combination of tax changes for the wealthy and cuts to gov- ernment spending on things like welfare for the low-paid are “taking much more from poorer households than richer ones.” Moreover, pushing up pay by increasing the min- imum wage is a “gamble,” the IFS said. British manufacturing, which has barely grown for the past four years, is also a disappointment. Figures for May showed an annual de- cline of 0.6 percent, extending April’s 0.4 percent slump. Osborne’s plan for a levy on companies to fund appren- ticeships is welcome news to those of us who believe trying to push every kid into uni- versity is a mistake. But the vacuum in vocational training in recent years leaves a big gap to fill (although Britain clearly isn’t the only country not pro- ducing enough engineers). And the bubbly housing market remains, in the May 2014 words of Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, “the biggest risk to financial stability.” In a nod to the lack of affordable housing, Osborne made some tweaks to the tax treatment of private landlords who ac- cumulate property and ac- companied that with a relax- ation of planning laws. Yet a 2004 report suggested Britain needs to build at least 75,000 new dwellings per quarter to meet demand; the quarterly average in the past 14 years is fewer than 34,000. Berkeley Group, London’s big- gest homebuilder, completed 5 percent fewer new homes in the 12 months through April than it did a year ago. Moreover, a budget initia- tive to cut rents for tenants of low-income housing associa- tions, combined with a right- to-buy plan for those renters, will massively constrain the ability “to meet the shared ambition of themselves and government to drive housing growth and new jobs,” ac- cording to David Orr of the National Housing Federation. “At the very least 27,000 new homes will not now be built, though that figure could be much higher.” One of the more Thatcherite aspects of Osborne’s spending cuts is also the ugliest. It demonizes those who rely on what the Tories call benefits, and what I grew up knowing as social security. (There’s something Orwellian about distorting the language of safety nets.) Lumping together the most vulnerable members of so- ciety with the true slackers is offensive and unnecessary. If Osborne really wishes to cap- ture a “new centre” for British politics, he’d do well to refrain from besmirching those who are unable to work, rather than those who are unwilling. Above all, the British budget is effectively a resume for a man who would be king – or at least prime minister. Osborne will likely be bat- tling London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, for the leadership of the Conservative Party, now that David Cameron says he won’t run in the next election. Osborne lacks the charisma of Johnson and the smooth charm of Cameron. But judged on his steward- ship of the economy, Osborne is doing a better job than his detractors acknowledge. Mark Gilbert is a Bloomberg View columnist and a member of the Bloomberg View editorial board. © 2015, Bloomberg News British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne poses for the media with the traditional red dispatch box outside his official residence in London, prior to unveiling the budget, Wednesday, July 8. - Photo: AP5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday July 16, 2015 Endangered species law enacted after more than a decade CharlEs DunCan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com A law governing the trade in endangered plants and an- imals has come into effect 11 years after passing through the Legislative Assembly. The law brings Cayman closer to compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, but the law will need updates to bring the islands into full compliance by a 2016 dead- line or Cayman could face trade restrictions. The treaty, which most countries in the world are party to, requires local leg- islation to control the im- port and export of endan- gered species. According to Minister of Environment Wayne Panton, the law creates a frame- work for species such as black coral and queen conch, which are listed in the treaty as endangered. “We must have proper mechanisms in place that allow local vendors, who sell these products to inter- national clients, to trade in these species in ways that are completely compliant with the CITES framework,” Mr. Panton said in a press release this week. The Endangered Species (Trade and Transport) Law 2004 replaces earlier en- dangered species protection laws. Gina Ebanks-Petrie, di- rector of the Department of Environment, said the law also works alongside the new National Conservation Law and several other laws that set the list of endan- gered species in the Cayman Islands and how to manage those natural resources. One part of the law, dealing specifically with registering companies that trade in species on the in- ternational endangered list, has not yet been brought into force. Once that piece of the legislation comes into effect, Cayman will be able to track legal trade and make it harder for poachers to send endangered spe- cies such as rare orchids or black coral overseas, Ms. Ebanks-Petrie said in the statement. Older laws currently govern poaching in the is- lands, she said. “By making it harder for poachers, we’ll make it easier for business owners who are conducting trans- actions in the legal interna- tional trade of listed spe- cies,” she said. The United Kingdom signed the treaty in 1976 and extended it to the Cayman Islands in 1979. The treaty has been updated several times, requiring member na- tions to update local rules. Fire officer’s hit-and-run case adjourned CarOl WInKEr cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com John Sidney Bodden, on required leave from his post as acting fire chief, ap- peared in Traffic Court on Monday, charged in connec- tion with an incident on the evening of Jan. 26, National Heroes Day. The first charge is care- less driving – that he un- lawfully drove a Lincoln Continental on Shamrock Road in the vicinity of Savannah Primary School without due care and atten- tion. He is also charged with unlawfully leaving the scene of an accident without rea- sonable cause for leaving. Two other charges allege that the vehicle was not is- sued with a certificate of roadworthiness and was not registered. Defense attorney Lloyd Samson asked for another mention date. Magistrate Grace Donalds set the matter for Sept. 14 and ex- tended bail until then. A press release from po- lice in June indicated that two brothers, 21 and 14, were injured in the incident, with the younger boy in the hospital for several weeks. Police: Stolen motorbike in SmaSh-uP A motorcycle that Cayman Islands police said had been stolen Tuesday was involved in a three-ve- hicle crash mid-morning Wednesday. Royal Cayman Islands Police officers said the mo- torbike was speeding along Beach Bay Road just before 10 a.m. when it ran into a vehicle in front of it, then ca- reened off into another ve- hicle traveling in the oppo- site direction. The motorcycle driver left the scene of the crash before police arrived. The driver of one of the cars struck a tree and suf- fered minor injuries. The motorcycle had been reported stolen in Bodden Town on Tuesday. Mr. Panton Dan Scott leaves Cayman Finance board after five years Dan Scott, Ernst & Young’s regional managing partner, has left the board of Cayman Finance. The organization which represents Cayman’s finan- cial services industry is- sued a statement thanking Mr. Scott for more than five years of service on the board, saying he played “an instrumental role in growing the reputation of the Cayman Islands.” Rohan Small, a partner at EY, will fill the open po- sition on the Cayman Finance board. “It has been a privilege to have served on the board of Cayman Finance and I am extremely proud of what has been achieved since its in- ception,” Mr. Scott said. “I have every confidence that Cayman Finance will con- tinue to serve the Cayman Islands’ brand well both as a key stakeholder and ad- vocate for our financial services industry.” Mr. Scott was recently named a recipient of the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to the financial services industry and the judiciary in the Cayman Islands. Cayman Finance said his board departure is related to the growing commitments as managing partner at global professional services firm EY where he is respon- sible for the firm’s operations in the Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands. Mr. Scott’s brother, Jude Scott, is the chief executive officer of Cayman Finance. Ian Wight, chairman of the financial services associ- ation, said, “We congratulate Mr. Scott for his achievement in being awarded the OBE, and are grateful for his com- mitment and leadership on the Cayman Finance board in developing and maintaining the country as a leading fi- nancial services jurisdiction.” Ms. Ebanks-Petrie Mr. ScottThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community Calendar ■ Community Calendar is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. Thursday July 16, 2015 • Cayman Compass THURSDAY, JULY 16 FAMILY SUPPORT UNIT: The Family Support Unit has temporarily relocated to Elizabethan Square. Officers are available at police headquarters to meet those with inquiries or reports regarding domestic violence, child abuse, or other sensitive family-related issues. Individuals wishing to meet with the FSU should inform reception at police headquarters, in Elizabethan Square, 4th floor, Amerigo House. A representative from the FSU will meet with them in a separate office. FSU can be reached at 946- 9185, but any emergencies should be reported to 911. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS CLUB: Meets this evening and every Thursday, George Town Public Library, 3rd floor, 6-7 p.m. Guests are welcome. BRAC NWDA VISIT: Representatives of the National Workforce Development Agency will be available to meet with employers and job seekers, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. Friday, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. DLP office, 256 Creek Road. Appointments can be made by calling 9453114; and walk-ins are welcome. LABOUR RELATIONS BILL: The public is invited to a discussion of the bill, at 8 p.m. at the North Side Civic Centre. BRAC NWDA WORKSHOP: Job search strategies. 2-5 p.m. at DLP Office, 256 Creek Road. To register, call 945-3114 or email nwdatraining@gov.ky. QUIZ NIGHT: Humane Society fundraiser at Fidel Murphy’s, 7 p.m. Entry is $10 per person. Teams can have up to six people. To book a table, email sarah. dyer.81@gmail.com or phone Fidel’s on 949-5189. SATURDAY, JULY 18 BRAC LABOR AND PENSIONS: The public is invited to meetings for both the Labour Relations Bill and National Pension (Amendment) Bill, at the Layman E. Scott Sr. High School Hall. The meeting on the Labour Relations Bill is from 1–2:30 p.m., and the meeting on the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill from 2:30–4 p.m. FAMILY FUN DAY: The National Gallery hosts a free Fun Day with scavenger hunt- type activities in the upper and lower exhibition halls as well as outdoors for the whole family. Food and beverages will be available for guests. ACTORS SHOWCASE: One night only. Cayman Drama Society presents the acclaimed play “Twelve Angry Jurors (Men).” Acting workshop participants present monologues and scenes, while the teen acting school presents “Twelve Angry Jurors.” No reservations required. $10 admission. Happy hour starts at 6 p.m. Show time 7 p.m. Email chairman@cds.ky. MONDAY, JULY 20 ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY: Tonight’s meeting is at Pedro Castle, 7.30 p.m. All are welcome. On arrival, please dip headlights. In the event of more than 50 percent cloud cover, the meeting will be cancelled. If in doubt, ring 925 7657 (no text messages please). LABOUR RELATIONS BILL: The public is invited to a discussion of the bill, at the Savannah Primary School Hall, 7:30 p.m. TUESDAY, JULY 21 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Tonight’s free film at 7 p.m. is “The Lego Movie” (PG). Families are invited to Gardenia Court in Camana Bay to set up a picnic on the grass, or just bring a blanket, relax and enjoy the show on the outdoor big screen. WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 LABOUR RELATIONS BILL: The public is invited to a discussion of the bill, at the George Town Town Hall, 7:30 p.m. THURSDAY, JULY 23 LABOUR RELATIONS BILL: The public is invited to a discussion of the bill, at the East End Civic Centre, 8 p.m. BRAC COURT: Summary Court is held today and tomorrow at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre from 10 a.m. SPECIAL NEEDS FOUNDATION: The Special Needs Foundation of Cayman holds its next Parent Support Meeting 6-7 p.m. at the Discovery Centre, Camana Bay. Contact 321 2957 or email susie@ specialneedsfoundation. ky for further details or visit www. specialneedsfoundation.ky. SUMMER CAMPS SUMMER PROGRAM: Light of the World after-school extends its program to all day, until July 31. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., for children from Years 1 to 7. Special emphasis on literacy and numeracy, directed by qualified and experienced teachers. Art and craft, inside and outside games; field trips to parks, historic places and Camana Bay. Venue is 65 Smith Road. For more information, call 926-1541 or 326-0871. Registration open now. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: July 20 to 24 at Calvary Baptist Church on Walkers Road for ages 4 to 17. From 8:30 a.m. till noon daily. Call 949-0629. NATIONAL GALLERY SESSIONS: Summer sessions of art-related activities for kids every Thursday till Aug. 20, 2-4 p.m. Free, but space is limited. Register at education@nationalgallery. org or 945-8111. CREATIVE CAMPERS: In session through Aug. 28, for ages 3-13. Runs 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Elmslie Memorial Church Hall. $80 per week includes camp fee, field trips, snacks and lunch. Activities include arts and craft, sports, science, talent show, Bible study. Contact 324-8707 or creativecampers@live.com. FEARLESS EXTREME: Leadership and Prevention Camp. Organized by Cayman Islands Youth Development Consortium. July 13-24 for ages 7-9 and 10-14. Mary Miller Hall, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. $75 per week, includes transportation. Contact sylviawilks@ caribbeanyouthassets.com or 917-3885. ART AND CRAFT: Organized by the Visual Arts Society. July 20-Aug. 12. Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 a.m. to noon. $45 per session or $120 per week, or $485 for the month. Camp takes place on the grounds of Pedro Castle at the Watler House Art Studio. visualartcayman@ yahoo.com. GENERAL INTEREST NATIONAL GALLERY: The gallery has extended hours for the summer: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the exhibition halls is free and open to the public. Current exhibition is the gallery’s permanent collection. A 20-minute documentary film, “Caymanian Art – A New Frontier,” by Jacob Olde VI will be screened on a loop throughout the exhibition “All Access.” HIV TESTING: Free HIV testing is available every Tuesday year-round at the Cayman Islands Red Cross on Thomas Russell Way. Anyone wishing to get tested should arrive by 9 a.m. Testing will be available every Tuesday, 9-10 a.m. Contact HIV/AIDS Coordinator Laura Whitfield at 244-2631. PUBLIC FEEDBACK: The Ministry of Education, Employment & Gender Affairs and the Department of Labour & Pensions has released the Labour Relations Bill, 2015 and the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2015 for public consultation. These bills can be accessed on the Ministry’s website, www.education.gov.ky/ labourpensions. In addition to participation at district meetings, the public can give their feedback on the bills to the Ministry and Department by emailing lpl@gov.ky. SUMMER BOOK SWAP: Every Monday through Sunday, July through August, at the Learning Tree, Cassia Court in Camana Bay. Book lovers can find titles for all ages and interests. Browse the selection, take your pick and replace it with one of your favorites to help spread the joy of reading. REEF RESTORATION: Certified divers are invited to work on the Cayman Magic Reef restoration in George Town. A schedule of work dates and times is posted on Facebook under Cayman Magic Reef Recovery. Dates, times and places are listed under Events, for volunteers to check and sign up. THRIFT SHOP SEEKS CLOTHING: The Humane Society Thrift Shop is desperately low on stock. Clothing, accessories, toys, small appliances, shoes, bric-a-brac and pictures are needed. Please bring donations to the Humane Society building on North Sound Road. BETHESDA COUNSELING CENTRE: At 68 Mary St. Caters to all who seek help. Call 946-6575. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay Artisans Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society has artists displaying arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near KARoo. For more information about being a displaying artist, contact info@ visualartcayman.com. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the catboat clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. For more information, call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:45 p.m. to assist with training athletes in track and field, bocce and football. Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Contact Penny McDowall, 516-2578, soci@candw.ky or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. PRESCHOOL FUNDING: The Ministry of Education offers funding to assist eligible young Caymanian children to attend an early childhood center (preschool). Application forms are available at the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue, at the Department of Education Services on Thomas Russell Way, and from early childhood center directors/ operators. For further information, call 244- 5735 or contact turnette. stewart@gov.ky or renee. barnes@gov.ky. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@ museum.ky. PINK LADIES: Coffee Shop at Cayman Islands Hospital is open Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast, lunch, drinks, snacks. Takeout orders welcome, call 244-2661. Funds are donated back to the community. Contact pinkladiescayman@ gmail.com. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Contact humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition always needed. OPEN CANVAS: Wednesdays from 7 p.m. at KARoo restaurant in Camana Bay. No fee, easels provided. Artists of all levels invited. Karoo offers two complimentary tickets for wine or beer. For more information contact visualartcayman@yahoo.com or jr@cib.ky or 546-9422. LOST DOGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at RC headquarters on Thomas Russell Way. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. WAITING FOR JOSEPHINE: This is an ongoing appeal for second-hand magazines for the waiting rooms at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Please take magazine donations to Books & Books at Camana Bay or deposit them in the big bin outside the Cancer Society on Maple Road (opposite the hospital). For more information, contact Carol Hay at 526-6932. SPECIAL NEEDS FOUNDATION OF CAYMAN: For anyone who is a parent, relative, friend or carer of a special needs child. Also for professionals interested in special needs. SNFC is a nonprofit organization providing information, resources, education and support with meetings, social events and newsletters. Contact www. specialneedsfoundation.ky. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Thursday July 16, 2015 Masters in Human Resource Management Coming to the Cayman Islands in October 2015 For HR Practitioners and Senior Managers The University of Portsmouth is delighted to be offering a 5th Masters in HRM to be delivered by University of Portsmouth Faculty on-island. The first two academic years of classes are fully taught on island, plus a research based project This programme is perfect for HR professionals and senior managers who wish to to develop HR skills and knowledge, gain a respected Masters Qualification and benefit from CIPD Membership For Class Schedule, Fees and Payment Plans and Frequently Asked Questions: www.port.ac.uk/cayman/hrm If you are interested please contact: Marjorie Corbridge: marjorie.corbridge@port.ac.uk Director of Recruitment for the Cayman Masters in HRM University of Portsmouth Business School Enhance your career prospects, gain a Masters and gain CIPD membership! with the Labour Law over the past decade, and al- though the government has been “very thorough” in de- signing the new law, she knows “we can’t stop here.” But she thinks that the new law addresses the “heart of what’s necessary.” “This is what I think we need to do to address some of the key issues that the country is facing,” Ms. Rivers said. Some of the key issues that the new 10-part law addresses include mater- nity and paternity leave, overtime and severance pay, retirement, unfair dis- missal, health and safety at the workplace, and discrimination. The draft of the bill does not include a proposal to change the minimum wage to $6 an hour, but such a change will be included in the final version of the bill following the current public consultation period. Ms. Rivers first outlined the objectives of the new law. It is designed to en- hance and better protect the rights of employers and employees, and to more ef- fectively deter noncompli- ance by introducing clear timelines for enforcement actions and an administra- tive fine regime which in- creases penalties for vio- lating the law. Ms. Rivers said that now that the bill “has some teeth,” it will be easier to take action when com- plaints are made to the Department of Labour and Pensions. Some members of the audience expressed con- cerns that despite the new timelines and penalties, in- vestigations into labor com- plaints might still be hin- dered by unscrupulous government employees. Some asked who would be monitoring the monitors to ensure that each investiga- tion is truly thorough. They were told that policing of the civil service is an issue that lies outside the pur- view of the Labour Law. Ms. Rivers also indi- cated that many disputes brought to labor tribu- nals arise because there was no detailed contract provided to employees. Under the new law, em- ployers would be required to provide employees with a written contract within 10 days of hiring. The con- tract would include such items as the job title and responsibilities, hours of work, pay, the period of em- ployment and any period of probation, and an out- line of the employer’s pro- cedures for discipline and dispute resolution. Another primary objec- tive of the bill is to ensure that loopholes that allow for structural discrimina- tion against Caymanian employees are reduced. A common complaint made to the Department of Labour and Pensions is that businesses often re- fuse to hire Caymanians on the grounds that they are overqualified. The new law specifically prohibits employers from refusing to hire Caymanians on such grounds. Several audience mem- bers expressed concerns that the new law does not go far enough to ensure that Caymanians are em- ployed and suggested that more needs to be done to get Caymanians into jobs held by work-permit holders. One audience member suggested that em- ployers should be mandated to take on a Caymanian un- derstudy for every foreign employee, and turn the job over to that understudy at the end of the foreign work- er’s two-year work permit. Many of the questions raised by the audience fo- cused on issues pertaining to immigration, which both Mr. Ebanks and Ms. Rivers stressed are not handled by the Department of Labour and Pensions. The government will hold five more public meetings on the Labour Relations Bill this month. In August, the government will hold another series of meetings in each district to get feedback on the new pensions bill. The government invites the public to provide feedback on both bills through Aug. 31 via email at lpl@gov.ky. The Progressives-led government has proposed greater fuel price transpar- ency, particularly with regard to how much the oil compa- nies mark up their products prior to retail distribution. There are two “markups” with regard to retail gas and diesel sold at local petro- leum stations. The first oc- curs between the time the petroleum product leaves the supplier’s shores and ar- rives in Cayman for storage at the Jackson Point fuel ter- minal; the second markup occurs when the fuel is loaded into the pumps at the gas stations. Historically, it has been very difficult for the govern- ment to obtain that infor- mation from local retailers and impossible to get it from the fuel distributors, so Mr. Tibbetts said the government is left with “the continuing saga of the Petroleum Inspectorate inquiring about prices of fuel and not being able to have any method to verify the information that they receive.” “The Petroleum Inspectorate will have proper legislation in place which guarantees their ability to get this information,” Mr. Tibbetts said. Although Mr. Tibbetts spoke only about obtaining information on base-rate gas prices, and not regulation of those prices, local oil com- panies have warned Cayman Islands politicians about en- acting a system of price con- trols many times in the past. Earlier this year, Sol Petroleum’s Alan Neesome said Cayman consumers could be left out of retail sav- ings that occur if the market is overregulated. “Pump pricing here overall [has] decreased sub- stantially, in line with inter- national pricing, whereas prices in other jurisdictions in our region, especially those with regulations, are in many cases higher when compared to the equivalent price per imperial gallon for the same product,” Mr. Neesome said. Gallon of gas up 55 cents in four months The average price at retail stations, which had slipped to $4.15 per gallon by March 18 was measured at $4.71 per gallon in early July. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Proposed new Labour Law gets public review Planned Parenthood video prompts investigation WASHINGTON (AP) – The searing political conflict over abortion flared anew Wednesday as congressional Republicans said they will investigate whether Planned Parenthood is selling organs from aborted fetuses. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, called for committees to examine the matter and said President Barack Obama should con- demn and end the practice. The GOP offensive came a day after an anti-abor- tion group circulated a video it made secretly showing a Planned Parenthood of- ficial discussing the dis- posal of body parts from aborted fetuses. “When an organization monetizes an unborn child – and with the cavalier at- titude portrayed in this hor- rific video – we must all act,” Boehner said in a brief written statement. He said Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell should “de- nounce, and stop, these grue- some practices.” Planned Parenthood, which provides abortions and other reproductive health services, says it legally helps women who want to make not-for-profit donations of their fetus’s organs for scien- tific research. It says it makes no money by donating the or- gans to science, and says the video was heavily edited. “These outrageous claims are flat-out untrue, but that doesn’t matter to politicians with a long-standing political agenda to ban abortion and defund Planned Parenthood,” Planned Parenthood spokesman Eric Ferrero said Wednesday. He said women donating fetal tissue for re- search “should be honored, not attacked and demeaned.” Minutes after Boehner released his statement, the House Energy and Commerce Committee said it would in- vestigate the issue and “get to the bottom of this ap- palling situation.” The House Judiciary Committee plans a review, too. Commercial sale of human fetal tissue is illegal under federal law. Noncommercial tissue donation is allowed if the woman undergoing an abortion gives her consent. Ferrero said Planned Parenthood guidelines for such procedures are car- ried out “just like other high- quality healthcare providers – with full, appropriate con- sent from patients, under the highest ethical and legal standards, and with no finan- cial benefit for the patient or Planned Parenthood.” By late afternoon, the White House had not re- sponded to requests for comment. On Tuesday, the video’s release was a factor as GOP leaders postponed a House vote on a bill creating a com- memorative coin aimed at raising money for breast cancer research. Conservative lawmakers were angered be- cause one of the groups that would have received the re- search money is the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foun- dation. It has affiliates that finance breast cancer ser- vices at some local Planned Parenthood clinics. The House voted unani- mously Wednesday to drop the Komen group from the bill, meaning it would receive no research funds. The video, made covertly last year, was produced by the Irvine, California-based Center for Medical Progress, which released it in collabo- ration with several national anti-abortion organizations. It shows a lunchtime conversation between Dr. Deborah Nucatola, Planned Parenthood’s senior director of medical services, and anti- abortion activists posing as potential buyers for a human biologics company. Nucatola is heard in the video referring to fetal hearts, lungs and livers and to ef- forts to retrieve these organs intact rather than crush them during an abortion proce- dure. She is heard giving a range of monetary estimates. According to Planned Parenthood, Nucatola “was speculating on the range of reimbursement that affili- ates can receive after patients state they wish to donate tissue after a procedure.” U.S. House Speaker John Boehner Planned Parenthood says it makes no money by donating the organs to science, and says the video was heavily edited. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Thursday July 16, 2015 • Cayman Compass North Cameroon bans burkas, face veils A Cameroon governor says the country’s north has banned women from wearing burkas and face-covering veils after suicide bombings by females in burkas killed at least 14 people in a northern town on Sunday. Greek economy on its knees despite bailout deal ATHENS, Greece (AP) – Greece has a tentative rescue deal, but relief that it is not falling out of the euro is unlikely to last long: its economy has taken a huge hit. Months of political brink- manship, uncertainty and bank closures have hurt companies and brought ev- eryday business to a stand- still. And new economic mea- sures meant to secure the bailout are forecast to put the country, which emerged last year from six years of economic decline, through more misery. “No one is producing. No one is buying. Everyone is scared,” said 59-year-old Dimitris Farmakis, who has a cloth-making firm in Athens. On top of a slump in de- mand, Farmakis’s business is hit hard by a government limit on money transfers that makes it impossible to buy supplies from overseas. He’s cut down on production and given his staff time off. “In a few weeks we won’t be producing due to these shortages,” Farmakis said. Farmakis’s woes are com- monplace in an economy that analysts estimate will contract by about 4 per- cent this year. That’s a big reverse from just six months ago, when it had emerged from one of the most savage recessions the developed world has seen in modern history. Its public fi- nances were also healing and the country was even considering financing itself once again on international bond markets. Rip up that script. Greece fell back into re- cession in the spring amid growing uncertainty over the country’s future in the euro in the wake of the elec- tion triumph of the radical left Syriza party in January. As the bailout talks dragged on, concerns became more acute and the recession deepened, evidence sug- gests. The government’s de- cision over two weeks ago to shutter all banks, impose limits on cash withdrawals at ATMs for Greeks, and re- strict electronic transfers abroad dealt a huge blow to an economy that was al- ready reeling. Bankruptcies are on the rise: bad loans on banks’ books are expected to surge to account for 40-45 percent of all loans, from 35 percent in December, according to Moody’s credit rating agency. Money has been pulled out in droves from the country over the past months of uncertainty. Deposits hit an 11-year low in May and analysts say it will take time for investors to find the courage to plow money back into the country, even if it has a rescue deal. The public debt load is unsustainable at around 180 percent of GDP – or 320 bil- lion euros – and forecast to rise over the next two years as the economy weakens, the International Monetary Fund warned this week. Meanwhile, the budget savings the government will have to make to get the fi- nancial bailout from its European creditors will hurt economic growth. They in- clude, among other things, tax increases that are likely to dent spending. “Greece has already gone through [a] depression,” said Megan Greene, chief econ- omist at Manulife Asset Management. “This ensures they’ll go through three more years of recession if it’s implemented.” The Greek government, and many experts, say the bailout deal is needed to avoid the even worse sce- nario of a complete collapse in Greece’s banks, which would push the country out of the euro. Economists esti- mate that if Greece falls out of the currency union, its economy could shrink by an- other 10 or 20 percent. The government also notes that the bailout deal will ensure the country’s funding for three years and includes a promise to lighten its debt burden. In the short-term, it is needed to help the banks reopen, a priority for the economy to start breathing again. Imports in Greece have been hammered by the limits on money transfers that the government imposed two weeks ago to prevent a bank run. Business owners are warning there could be shortages of basic goods such as food if the situa- tion isn’t resolved and banks aren’t reopened. Exporters are also experi- encing problems as many are unable to buy raw materials from abroad, while others say they cannot pay for agri- cultural products. “It’s a huge problem, we’re now only receiving from abroad the products that have already been im- ported and paid for,” said Natassa Voudouri, owner of Contlift, which trans- ports goods from shipping containers around Greece. “From here on, things get harder … The reason is that no money transfer can be sent abroad from Greece.” Protests rage in Tokyo as Abe’s security bills head to vote TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s bills to expand the role of the mili- tary will go to a lower house vote Thursday, after weeks of debate that has eroded his support and sparked opposi- tion protests that echo those that toppled his grandfather more than half a century ago. The bills were approved Wednesday in a special se- curity committee session marked by jostling, shouting and even tears from placard- holding opposition lawmakers that almost drowned out the chairman’s voice. They are all but certain to pass due to the ruling coalition’s two-thirds majority. If the upper house refuses to take up the bills, a second vote in the lower house can pass them into law with a two-thirds majority. The legislation enshrines in law Abe’s 2014 reinter- pretation of the pacifist con- stitution and would allow Japan to defend other coun- tries as part of a strategy to balance a rising China. Media polls show the ma- jority of voters are opposed to the changes and disap- proval of the Cabinet now surpasses approval. Abe’s determination to ram the laws through parlia- ment risks a further fall in support from a public skep- tical of extending the mili- tary’s remit, and exposing cracks in his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Even so, it will help firm up defense ties with the United States and allow him to focus on eco- nomic policy in elections for the upper chamber next year. “There will be an uproar within the ruling coalition,” independent political analyst Minoru Morita said of the likely fallout from the legisla- tion. “The Abe administration will get through the crisis, but go into a difficult period.” Organizers of demonstra- tions outside the parliament building said 20,000 people attended a protest on July 10, and hope 100,000 will take to the streets over the next three evenings. Tokyo police were unable to provide an estimate of numbers for either last week’s rally or a projection for protests this week. In 1960, massive rallies were led by students and trade unions against the rat- ification of a security treaty with the U.S. The demon- strations, which sometimes turned violent, helped bring about the resignation of Abe’s grandfather Nobusuke Kishi as prime minister. The biggest protests in re- cent years were anti-nuclear rallies after the Fukushima meltdown in 2011, with one event at a Tokyo park at- tracting an estimated 170,000 people. The current demon- strations over the security bills could grow even larger than that this summer, ac- cording to Koichi Nakano, professor of politics at Sophia University in Tokyo. Prior to Wednesday’s vote, Abe told committee mem- bers that the legislation was needed because of changes in the power balance of both the world and the Asia-Pacific region. “The security legisla- tion is needed so that Japan can respond without pause,” he said. In the same session, op- position Democratic Party of Japan lawmaker Kiyomi Tsujimoto wept as she made her case against the bills. “I can’t accept the forcible pas- sage of the bills,” she said. “The Abe administration should step down.” A poll carried out by public broadcaster NHK from July 10-12 showed Abe’s sup- port fell 7 points to 41 per- cent. Disapproval leaped to 43 percent from 34 percent. Nonetheless, none of the opposition parties has gathered substantial voter support. © 2015, Bloomberg News A worker pushes a trolley with onions and watermelons at a market in Athens. Imports in Greece have been hammered since strict capital controls were imposed two weeks ago. - Photo: AP Protesters clash with police on Wednesday during a rally in Tokyo after a parliamentary committee approved legislation that would expand the role of Japan’s military. - Photo: AP “No one is producing. No one is buying. Everyone is scared.” Dimitris Farmakis, owner of a cloth-making firm in Athens9 WORLD&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Thursday July 16, 2015 Macedonian political leaders reach deal on solving crisis SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) – Macedonia’s main political leaders reached a final agree- ment early Wednesday to re- solve a protracted and se- vere political crisis that has roiled the small Balkan country for months. The agreement reached in marathon European Union- mediated talks calls for early elections on April 24 organized by a caretaker cabinet and for conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to step down by the end of this year. Negotiations had failed twice in the past to produce results. The latest break- through came a day after U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland urged Macedonia’s political leaders to end the crisis that has divided society and has seen the opposition boycott Parliament for months in a symbolic protest. A special prosecutor will be named by September to investigate the opposition’s claims that the government was behind the illegal wire- tapping of 20,000 people, in- cluding police, judges, reli- gious leaders, journalists and foreign diplomats. Those claims are at the heart of the crisis, one of Macedonia’s deepest since it gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Main opposition Social Democrats leader Zoran Zaev has been publishing excerpts of the recorded conversations since February. Many of the conversa- tions are between govern- ment officials and purport to reveal corruption at the highest level of government in this country of two million people, including misman- agement of funds, election fraud and spurious criminal prosecutions of opponents. Zaev had long demanded Gruevski’s resignation. Gruevski has denied wrongdoing, claiming the re- cordings were made with the help of foreign spies and leaked to the opposition, and that the excerpts that were published were heavily ed- ited. He has accused Zaev of plotting a coup. European Union Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who me- diated the talks along with three other European Parliament members, praised the final deal signed by Gruevski, Zaev and two ethnic Albanian political leaders: Ali Ahmeti of the governing coalition’s junior partner Democratic Union for Integration, and Menduh Thaci, who heads the op- position Democratic Party of Albanians. “This is an excellent day for your country,” Hahn told re- porters early Wednesday after the 12 hours of talks ended. Macedonia has long hoped to join both the EU and NATO. In a separate press con- ference, Gruevski said the deal includes an end to the opposition’s boycott, with it returning to Parliament in September. The opposition will also propose new minis- ters of interior, labor and so- cial policy, as well as some deputy ministers. “A political crisis in Macedonia is solved and the European perspective for the Republic of Macedonia re- mains open,” Gruevski said, adding that the caretaker gov- ernment organizing the 2016 election will be led by someone proposed by his conservative VMRO-DPMNE party. In a victorious atmosphere in the Social Democrats head- quarters, Zaev told about 100 supporters that the agreement backs democratic processes. “We got Nikola Gruevski’s resignation and he will not or- ganize the elections,” Zaev said. Apart from the political crisis, Macedonia has also faced security issues this year, after a shootout between police and ethnic Albanian gunmen in the northern border town of Kumanovo in May left 18 people dead. “The prolonged crisis has had grave consequences for the stability of the country, its international standing and its prospects for prog- ress towards European Union membership,” said European Parliament member Richard Howitt, who also monitored the talks. “It is not an exaggera- tion to say the timing [of the] agreement could pull the country back from the brink.” Dozens killed in stampede at India festival AfghAn TAlibAn leAder bAcks peAce TAlks wiTh kAbul officiAls HYDERABAD, India (AP) – Tens of thousands of pilgrims taking part in a Hindu reli- gious bathing festival surged forward and triggered a massive stampede on a riv- erbank in southern India, leaving at least 27 dead and dozens injured in chaotic scenes in which rescuers struggled to respond quickly. The stampede Tuesday along the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh was trig- gered by some pilgrims who were trying to retrieve their shoes, which had fallen off in the rush to the riverbank, police said. Festival participants be- lieve a bath in the river can rid them of their sins, and many believe it is more aus- picious to bathe on the first day of the 12-day festival, called Pushkaralu. “It was a frightening situ- ation, with women and chil- dren crying for help,” said pilgrim V. Satyanarayana, adding the mayhem lasted nearly 20 minutes. “The po- licemen on duty were help- less and it took more than an hour to bring the situa- tion under control.” With the bodies of vic- tims lying around, rela- tives wailed and cried for help. At least 34 people were hospitalized, said Andhra Pradesh’s chief minister, Chandrababu Naidu. Some pilgrims said am- bulances took time to reach the site because the roads were overcrowded with people. Officials said that a small place like Rajahmundry, the disaster scene 280 miles east of Hyderabad, could not cope with the rush of hundreds of thousands of people, and that the situation became al- most unmanageable. Thousands of pilgrims, riding in buses, trains and other vehicles, started reaching the pilgrimage center two days ahead of the start of the festival. “There is a false be- lief that taking a holy dip in the river on the first day of the festival will be more auspicious,” said Swamy Swaroopanand, a Hindu holy man. “It’s the same as taking dip on any other day.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy, tweeting that he was “deeply pained” by it. About 24 million people are expected to take part in the festival at varying points along the Godavari River, which flows through Andhra Pradesh and newly created Telangana state. Deadly stampedes are fairly common during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with few safety or crowd control measures. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – Mullah Mohammad Omar, the reclusive Afghan Taliban leader, has backed peace talks with the Kabul govern- ment, saying in a rare mes- sage distributed to media Wednesday that the goal of these efforts is an “end to oc- cupation” by foreign forces. His message was re- leased ahead of the Eid al- Fitr holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In the statement, he also urged Muslim leaders of the world to unite and pledged to continue holy war, or jihad, until foreign troops leave Afghanistan. He made no specific men- tion of the first face-to-face Kabul-Taliban talks that were hosted by Pakistan ear- lier this month. The talks, su- pervised by U.S. and Chinese representatives, were said to have made progress, with the two sides agreeing to work on confidence-building mea- sures and hold more such meetings after Ramadan. The talks came after several in- formal contacts between the Taliban and Afghan govern- ment representatives, most recently in Qatar and Norway. But during and immedi- ately after the July 7 meeting near Islamabad, it was not clear whether the Taliban representatives who attended had the green light from Mullah Omar or the insur- gents’ political office in Qatar, which was specifically set up to work toward a peace deal. Also, there have been differ- ences among the Taliban over the talks in the past. Wednesday’s message ap- peared to be Mullah Omar’s endorsement. “The objective behind our political endeavors as well as contacts and interactions with countries of the world and our own Afghans is to bring an end to the occupa- tion and to establish an inde- pendent Islamic system in our country,” Mullah Omar said. Ousted from power by the 2001 U.S.-led invasion, the Taliban soon regrouped as an insurgency battling NATO troops and Afghan security forces. After the war began, Mullah Omar went into hiding and has not been seen in public since. The United States has offered a reward of $10 million for information leading to his capture. Though the Taliban are di- vided among rival factions, Mullah Omar continues to enjoy the loyalty of many local figures. In the wake of the departure of NATO combat forces at the end of last year, the Taliban have stepped up attacks on Afghan troops, which are now in charge of security in the country. Some of the Afghan insurgents have also recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group fighting in Syria and Iraq. Mullah Omar made no ref- erence to the IS affiliates in Afghanistan or beyond but de- manded that all in the “Muslim world maintain unity and fra- ternity among themselves and not allow internal differences to weaken their ranks.” European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations commissioner Johannes Hahn, center, and the four most relevant party leaders in Macedonia, conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, left, leader of the Democratic Union for Integrations Ali Ahmeti, second from left, leader of Macedonian opposition Social Democrats Zoran Zaev, right, and leader of the Democratic Party of the Albanians Menduh Thaci, second from right, in Skopje, Macedonia, early Wednesday. - phoTo: Ap The stampede along the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh was triggered by some pilgrims who were trying to retrieve their shoes, which had fallen off in the rush to the riverbank. In the statement, he also urged Muslim leaders of the world to unite and pledged to continue holy war, or jihad, until foreign troops leave Afghanistan.Next >