ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Tuesday OcTOber 13, 2015 sports | page 16 ebanks faces Trinidad’s besT International boxing show preview High of 88 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave heights 2 to 4 feet. editorial | page 4 keep an eye On lawmakers This week back to back wins www.butterfieldgroup.com Proud winner of The Banker’s prestigious Cayman Islands Bank of the Year award for 2013 and 2014. Bank of the year... Again! Digicel to block ads on mobile network charles duncan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Digicel plans to install ad blocking soft- ware on its network, stopping online ad- vertisers from reaching Digicel’s mobile Web users beginning Nov. 11, the company has announced. Using new software from an Israeli com- pany, Shine Technologies, the company will start blocking display and video ads for mo- bile users in Jamaica and roll it out to its 30 other markets in the Caribbean and the South Pacific in the coming months, a statement from Digicel says. Telecom regulations differ from country to country and it is not clear in which jurisdic- tions the blocking software would be legal. The company says advertising can take up as much as 10 percent of a customer’s data. The network-level software is similar to pro- grams like Ad-Blocker Plus that users can in- stall on home computers to block most ads except those that are “whitelisted” by paying a fee to the software company to get through the blocking software. Digicel’s statement notes that companies like Facebook and Google will have the op- tion to sign on to revenue-sharing agreements. Companies that want to have their ads al- lowed through Digicel’s network will have to give Digicel part of the money they make off the telecom’s mobile customers. “Currently, these companies do not pay to make use of the network and the ser- vices they provide on it suck up bandwidth to make money for themselves through ad- vertising while putting no money in,” Digicel said in a statement. Digicel Group Chairman Denis O’Brien said in a press release, “This is about giving cus- tomers the best experience and about getting access to broadband to the unconnected and allowing them to benefit from the opportuni- ties it affords. “Companies like Google, Yahoo and Facebook talk a great game and take a lot Banking on weed a risky Business James whiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Providing banking services to a growing number of legitimate marijuana operations in the U.S. would still be considered money laun- dering in the Cayman Islands, an international expert warned Friday. Speaking at the AML/Compliance and Financial Crime Conference on Friday, Miami lawyer Andrew Ittleman outlined the regula- tory nightmare facing banks that offer finan- cial services to marijuana businesses – legal in certain states, but technically still consid- ered drug trafficking under federal law. As Jamaica moves toward legalization of cannabis, Mr. Ittleman believes other Caribbean countries will follow suit. The anti-money laun- dering specialist said they should look to the U.S. as an example of how not to do it. The conflict between U.S. state and fed- eral laws on marijuana is creating issues for growers and sellers, as well as for banks that do business with them. The federal government still technically considers the profits from marijuana business to be the proceeds of crime. While banks are permitted to offer ser- vices to such businesses, many are shying away from doing so because of the strict reg- ulatory environment. The conflict is also an issue for any Cayman Islands banks or investment funds that want to move into the legal marijuana business. “Because the sale and consumption of can- nabis is still a crime in the Cayman Islands, a bank providing financial services to [a] licensed marijuana business would be deemed to be money laundering,” Mr. Ittleman, a partner at Fuerst Ittleman David & Joseph, told the Amnesty offered to unlicensed room renters James whiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Anyone renting rooms to tourists through home sharing sites like Airbnb has been of- fered an “amnesty” until the end of the year, before government begins cracking down on unli- censed properties. The Hotel Licensing Board is offering a three-month grace pe- riod for property owners to get their paperwork in order or get out of the business. After that, anyone subletting rooms, apartments or houses to visitors without a Tourism Accommodations License faces fines of $100 per day, per guest. “Properties that fail to be- come licensed after the amnesty period is closed will be subject to the full fine as well as pos- sible legal action. “Independent tourism ac- commodations providers are en- couraged to take advantage of the amnesty offer to safeguard against these consequences,” the board said in a statement. Anyone who rents prop- erty of any kind, even a room in their own home, to tourists, must be licensed by the board, taxi and bus drivers team up to clean up Taxi and bus drivers and tour operators worked to clean up sargassum seaweed piled high in Hog Sty Bay in George Town on Monday morning, continuing a job they began on Friday. The drivers organized the cleanup in an effort to return the shoreline to its usual pristine condition. The drivers, joined by some members of the public, hand-raked the beach and filled trash bags with the seaweed. - Photo: taneos ramsay PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 Tuesday OcTOber 13, 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. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - $8.00 * UPCOMING RUGBY MATCHES AT THE CINEMA * VISIT WWW.BIGSCREEN.KY FOR MORE INFORMATION. 18 YEARS & OVER KNOCK KNOCK (R) 1:20 I 3:40 I 7:20 I 9:40 THE MARTIAN 3D (PG13) 12:20 I 3:25 2D I 6:30 I 9:35 2D HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 3D (PG) 1:00 2D I 3:45 I 6:50 2D I 9:10 EVEREST (PG13) 4:10 I 10:00 THE WALK 3D (PG) 12:45 I 3:30 2D I 7:00 I 9:45 2D WAR ROOM (PG) 1:10 I 7:10 THE INTERN (PG13) 1:05 I 4:00 I 6:55 I 9:50 CALYPSO’S OPEN SEE YOU TODAY! www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Guyana seeks us help to fiGht druG traffickinG GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) – Guyana is asking the U.S. government for help in cracking down on drug smuggling at the South American country’s main airport. U.S. Ambassador Perry Holloway says talks are on- going with Guyana officials to loan special drug-de- tecting equipment. The cooperation comes as administrators at Cheddi Jagan International Airport crack down on bag handlers and check-in clerks accused of helping drug smugglers. Many have been fired. Guyana’s anti-narcotics director, James Singh, said Monday that he will also discuss with Holloway ways to improve his unit’s intelligence capabilities. U.S. officials have often said Guyana is a trans- shipment point for drugs heading to North America, and frequently demand that local officials do more to combat the trade. The country borders Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil. Police: Jamaican gun-drug suspect killed in Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) – A major Jamaican suspect in a guns-for-drugs smug- gling network has been fa- tally shot by law enforce- ment in southern Haiti, a Jamaican police commander said Sunday. Deputy Police Commissioner Glenmore Hinds said the underworld figure was gunned down Friday during a confrontation with Haitian officers. Jamaican investigators say the fugitive, identified only by his alias of “Mention,” had been based in that is- land’s fishing town of Old Harbor before fleeing to Haiti. Haitian national police spokesman Gary Desrosiers said Sunday he did not have specifics from colleagues. Reports from stations in rural Haiti can take time to reach police headquarters in Port-au-Prince. Last month, Jamaican po- lice identified the southern Haitian island of Ile-a-Vache as “the central point from which the illicit guns-for- drugs trade operates between Jamaica and Haiti.” Over the last few years, the Haitian government has been trying to transform the small out- lying island into a high-end tourist resort. The smuggling network between criminals in Haiti and Jamaica, often referred to as the “guns-for-ganja” trade, has flourished for years and stoked Jamaica’s chronically high homicide rate. Jamaican investigators say many of the illegal guns are manufactured in the U.S. and start their illegal jour- neys from Florida. Besides getting concealed in cargo ship containers, Jamaicans on fishing boats have long received pistols and submachine guns in ex- change for homegrown mari- juana. Jamaica’s police force has recently relaunched ef- forts at dismantling the net- works. Their latest initiative is dubbed “Get the Guns,” and focuses on increasing coop- eration and intelligence with Haitian counterparts. 13 die as truck overturns on cuban road HAVANA (AP) – Cuban of- ficials say a truck carrying passengers has crashed in the eastern part of the country, killing 13 people and seriously injuring nine more. Radio Cadena Agramonte reports that po- lice say the driver crashed while trying to pass an- other vehicle Saturday on the highway between Camaguey and Santa Cruz del Sur. An 8-year-old boy was among those who died. record number of sea turtle nests across florida TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida wildlife officials say there have been a re- cord number of green sea turtle nests around the state this year. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission documented approximately 28,000 green sea turtle nests on 26 Florida beaches this year. Nearly 30 years ago only 464 green turtle nests were recorded on these 26 beaches. The numbers have gradu- ally increased over the years thanks to conservation efforts. In 2011, the count was 10,701 and in 2013, it was 25,553. The counts represent about 68 percent of green turtle nesting statewide. Loggerhead sea turtles, which are the most prevalent sea turtle species on Florida’s shores, accounted for 52,647 nests on index beaches this year. honduras orders bank’s liquidation TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – One of Honduras’ most pow- erful businessmen is trying to calm clients after the gov- ernment announced it would force the immediate liquida- tion of his family’s bank. Jaime Rosenthal is accused by U.S. prosecutors of money laundering. He said Sunday that his family will honor all of its financial commit- ments, especially those of their Banco Continental. Rosenthal’s son, nephew and a company lawyer were also named in a federal indict- ment last week and nephew Yankel Rosenthal was arrested in Miami. U.S. prosecutors say the family has used its busi- nesses to launder money for multiple Central American drug traffickers. The family denies all of the allegations. The Honduran government said Friday it would soon name someone to take over bank’s operations. The Rosenthals have asked that the bank be allowed to voluntarily liquidate. Deputy Police Commissioner Glenmore Hinds said the underworld figure was gunned down Friday during a confrontation with Haitian officers. 3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 13, 2015 Customs staffer is government’s employee of the year Nearly 30 year ago, Gidget Powell applied nine times for a job in Her Majesty’s Customs in Cayman. Her persistence landed her the job, and her subsequent hard work in the depart- ment earned her the title last week of the Cayman Islands Government’s Employee of the Year. Ms. Powell, who is as- sistant collector of customs, has spent 26 of her 29 years of government service in the Customs department. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson presented her with the award Thursday night at the event hosted by Governor Helen Kilpatrick at Government House. Ms. Powell was chosen from among the 12 Employees of the Month, who have been recognized throughout the year. “All of you are winners and have made us extremely proud,” Mr. Manderson told the Employee of the Year can- didates. “I thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, in serving the community.” Ms. Powell is the third re- cipient of the award since the deputy governor introduced the scheme to “encourage every employee to go the extra mile in providing service,” the statement noted. This year’s candidates in- cluded “a remarkable set of nominees for whom ex- cellence is the norm,” said Gloria McField-Nixon, chief officer in the Portfolio of the Civil Service. “These civil ser- vants occupy the 90th per- centile among their peers.” Ms. McField-Nixon said, “Gidget [Powell] is known for her professionalism and pro- ficiency, whether interacting with staff, colleagues or the public. She exemplifies an ex- tremely high work ethic and strives to lead by example.” In determining the winner, Mr. Manderson looked at nom- inees’ annual performance as- sessments, their impact on the workplace and the “coopera- tion, confidence, respect and optimism they embed within their workplace as well as convey to their clients.” According to the govern- ment statement, Ms. Powell was awarded for her commit- ment to excellence and to the Customs Department’s cus- tomers and clients. “Above all, she ensures that the lines of communica- tion with her colleagues re- main open, thereby encour- aging them to similarly deal with their clients and col- leagues,” the statement noted. She also ensured that over the years government’s re- sources were “not squan- dered but put to the best pos- sible use, demonstrating her solid stewardship and, conse- quently, her value to the entire service.” Her warmth, com- passion and concern for her colleagues also resulted in her championing their causes, in- cluding better working condi- tions, the statement noted. At Thursday’s ceremony, Ms. Powell said she enjoys her job and pledged to con- tinue doing her very best. “I’m elated, overwhelmed and honored at receiving the award,” she said, thanking the Customs management team for “their valuable, con- tinued support, guidance and for believing” in her, the training manager, fellow assistants, senior and ju- nior staff. “Because we are a team,” she added. At Thursday’s ceremony were, from left, Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson, Premier Alden McLaughlin, Governor Helen Kilpatrick, Employee of the Year Gidget Powell, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, Collector of Customs Charles Clifford and Chief Officer Gloria McField-Nixon. Gambling Law changes will allow cruise ship registration James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Proposed changes to the Gambling Law, which go before the Legislative Assembly this week, are designed to allow cruise ships to be registered in the Cayman Islands. The amendments permit gambling on board Cayman Islands-registered ships, as long as they are on an inter- national voyage. Gambling is still not al- lowed in Cayman waters, even for cruise ships, which typically have casinos on board. “The sole purpose is to enhance the Shipping Registry’s ability to reg- ister cruise ships. What we are doing is defining a pas- senger ship in the Gambling Law so we can register a cruise ship which has gambling on board,” said Minister for Commerce Wayne Panton. A Cayman Islands- registered ship is subject to Cayman Islands law any- where in the world, so the Gambling Law would apply. Mr. Panton said the changes would not facili- tate any kind of ocean-going gambling businesses oper- ating from Cayman. “The law allows gam- bling if they are 12 miles out to sea and on an interna- tional voyage. They have to be going to an overseas port. That would exclude that type of scenario. The aim is solely to facilitate the ship- ping registry in marketing its services to cruise lines.” He added that “Cayman’s legislation will continue to ban all forms of gambling within the Cayman Islands, including on local commer- cial and recreational vessels.” Sian Pairaudeau, head of business development and corporate communica- tions at the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, said she could not comment on the specific advantage to Cayman of having cruise ships registered here. She said the territory ias ranked in the top 13 ju- risdictions in the world in the International Chamber of Shipping’s annual Flag State Performance Table and continues to promote itself to the maritime in- dustry generally. The bulk of U.S. cruise ships and commercial ves- sels are registered in for- eign ports under what is known as “flags of conve- nience,” meaning they are subject to the licensing reg- ulations and associated fees of that country. HSA: All incidents are fully investigated James Whittaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Health Services Authority bosses insist any “adverse outcome” at its facilities is fully investigated, though they have declined to com- ment directly on the death of British dive industry worker Kate Clayton. A U.K. coroner attributed her death to a “failed tracheostomy” proce- dure and its management. Police in Cayman re- vealed last month that they were investigating the cir- cumstances surrounding Ms. Clayton’s death. In a brief statement, in response to questions from the Cayman Compass about what action the hos- pital had taken to investi- gate Ms. Clayton’s death, a Health Services Authority spokeswoman said, “The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) puts the quality of care and patient safety as its number one priority. “It is the policy of the HSA to conduct a full multi-dis- ciplinary investigation fol- lowing any incident or ad- verse outcome at an HSA facility and immediately take such action or steps that are necessary. “The HSA does not pro- pose to comment on any in- vestigation, particularly in circumstances where ex- ternal authorities are making inquiries into the matter. “As and when all such investigations and/or legal proceedings are at an end, the HSA will make a further statement outlining the find- ings of the investigations.” Ms. Clayton died in hos- pital in England in February after being flown home for treatment following a car crash on Old Robin Road in North Side in January. A U.K. coroner’s inquiry ruled that the primary cause of her death was not the in- juries sustained in the acci- dent but a hypoxic brain in- jury as a result of what was described as a “failed tra- cheostomy procedure” at the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town. Central Hampshire Assistant Coroner Sarah Whitby noted in her ruling, “the procedure and its man- agement prevented oxygen reaching Miss Clayton’s brain for a period of at least eight minutes.” No one from the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority was called to speak at the inquest. The Compass under- stands that the senior med- ical personnel involved in the procedure still work for the authority. In other jurisdictions, in- cluding the U.S., being in- volved in a medical error or “adverse impact” would trigger an inquiry but would not necessarily result in dis- ciplinary action. According to a study in the Journal of Patient Safety in 2013, between 210,000 and 440,000 hospital patients each year suffer some type of preventable harm that con- tributes to their death. According to news re- ports in the U.S., that would make medical errors the third-leading cause of death in America, behind heart disease, which is the first, and cancer. Ms. ClaytonThe 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. Tuesday OCTOber 13, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Keep an eye on lawmakers this week Unless you happen to be suffering from insomnia, we don’t normally recommend attempting to watch, or listen to, the verbal (often verbose) activity taking place inside the Legislative Assembly. However, this week it may very well be worth tuning in to Cayman Islands Government Television, as lawmakers are expected to tackle several significant pieces of leg- islation that could potentially alter the political and economic fabric of our country. In this editorial space, we’ll focus on a few high- lights: “one man, one vote”; gas prices; and liquor laws. Legislators may vote to abolish the current elec- toral system in Cayman and replace it with a scheme where the three largest districts — West Bay, George Town and Bodden Town — will be broken up into indi- vidual mini-districts, each electing one person to the Legislative Assembly. (Adding, in the process, a 19th seat to the local Parliament.) We continue to oppose this proposed change, which is a major campaign promise by the Progressives, for a number of reasons. First, the new plan does not bring about “voter equality.” While lawmakers in the three largest districts will represent about 1,000 voters apiece, lawmakers in the three smallest districts (East End, North Side and the Sister Islands) will each rep- resent about 500 voters, meaning their ballots effec- tively count twice as much as everyone else’s. Second, the trend should be for Cayman’s leaders to think in broader, more global terms. The new system will encourage them to focus even more on narrow parochial interests, and will reward savvy politicians who “reward” particular neighborhoods, even at the expense of the wider country. If anything, Cayman needs fewer, larger districts — not more numerous, smaller ones. Third, we believe Cayman’s lawmakers are under- estimating the all-consuming nature of the “redis- tricting” process. Once this Pandora’s box is opened, haggling over lines on maps (for the furtherance of individual political careers) can easily become the top item on everyone’s agenda, and smother debate on topics of real public policy importance. We also vigorously oppose lawmakers’ proposals to meddle with Cayman’s fuel market. It is true that the prevailing price of gasoline ranges anywhere from an arm, to a leg, to both. However, legislators’ proposed solution is far worse than the perceived problem. The legislation at hand would allow govern- ment officials to demand information on fuel pricing (including future fuel shipments). This by itself is antithetical enough to the idea of a free economy in Cayman, but as the first step to a possible govern- ment-controlled fuel market, it’s even more chilling. Government can and perhaps should act, within its existing framework of powers, to ease the burden of fuel prices on consumers. But those steps should be limited to reducing fees and relaxing regulatory burdens, not increasing the bureaucracy. On the other hand, legislators are considering another business-centric bill we consider to be prom- ising, even perhaps long overdue. Proposed changes to the Liquor Licensing Law are aimed at ending Cayman’s “black market” for liquor licenses. Currently, it is common for individuals to “hold” liquor licenses — without being directly involved in a store, restaurant, bar or business that sells alcohol. Instead, they sell or even “rent out” their government licenses to actual business owners, in exchange for hefty sums. This black market has been enabled by government’s instructions to not issue any new liquor licenses (with a few exceptions, such as for hotels), thereby imbuing existing licenses, through scarcity, with artificial value. If anything, the changes may not go far enough. We remain unconvinced that an appointed Liquor Licensing Board is necessary to the process of granting permission to sell alcohol (or, for that matter, allow music and dancing). The board, most likely, creates opportunities for potential malfeasance, and underhanded “gamesmanship,” where none otherwise would have existed. Another massacre, another charade WASHINGTON – There’s the cycle of poverty. There’s the cycle of violence. And then there’s the cycle of gun talk. It starts with a mass shooting. Gun-control advocates blame the deaths on gun-control op- ponents, who argue, in turn, that none of the proposed re- strictions would have had any effect on the incident in question. The debate goes no- where. The media move on. Until the next incident, when the cycle begins again. So with the Roseburg massacre in Oregon. Within hours, President Obama takes to the microphones to furi- ously denounce the NRA and its ilk for resisting “common- sense gun-safety laws.” His harangue is totally sincere, totally knee-jerk and totally pointless. At the time he de- livers it, he – and we – know practically nothing about the shooter, nothing about the weapons, nothing about how they were obtained. Nor does Obama propose any legislation. He knows none would pass. But the deeper truth is that it would have made no difference. Does anyone really believe that the (alleged) gun-show loop- hole had anything to do with Roseburg? Universal back- ground checks sound won- derful. But Oregon already has one. The Roseburg shooter and his mother obtained every one of their guns legally. The reason the debate is so muddled, indeed surreal – notice, by the way, how “gun control” has been cleverly re- christened “commonsense gun- safety laws,” as if we’re talking about accident proofing – is that both sides know that the only measure that might actu- ally prevent mass killings has absolutely no chance of ever being enacted. Mere “commonsense” regulation, like the assault weapons ban of 1994 that was allowed to lapse 10 years later, does little more than make us feel good. A Justice Department study found “no discernible reduction in the lethality and injuriousness of gun violence.” As for the only remotely plausible solution, Obama dare not speak its name. He made an oblique reference to Australia, never mentioning that its gun-control innovation was confiscation, by means of a mandatory buyback. There’s a reason he didn’t bring up confiscation (apart from the debate about its actual effi- cacy in reducing gun violence in Australia). In this country, with its traditions, public sen- timent and, most importantly, Second Amendment, them’s fightin’ words. Obama didn’t say them. Nor did he seriously address the other approach that could make a difference: more ag- gressive psychiatric interven- tion. These massacres are al- most invariably perpetrated by severely disturbed, isolated, often delusional young men. Yet even here, our reach is limited. In some cases, yes, in- voluntary commitment would have made a difference. Jared Loughner, the Tucson shooter, was so unstable, so men- acing, that fellow students at his community college feared, said one, that he would “come into class with an automatic weapon.” Under our crazy laws, however, he had to kill before he could be locked up. Similarly, the Navy Yard shooter had been found by police a few weeks earlier in a hotel room, psychotic and paranoid. They advised him to get psychiatric help. Advised. Predictably, he fell through the mental health cracks. A month later, he killed 12 and was killed him- self, another casualty of a mental health system that lets the severely psychiat- rically ill – you see them sleeping on grates – live and die wretchedly abandoned. The problem is that these mass-murder cases are fairly unusual. Take Roseburg. That young man had no criminal history, no psychiatric diagnosis be- yond Asperger’s, no involve- ment in public disturbances. How do you find, let alone lock up, someone like that? There are 320 million Americans. Schizophrenia af- fects about 1 percent of the population. That’s about 3 million people. Only a tiny fraction are ever violent – and predicting which ones will be is almost impossible. Loner, socially isolated, often immersed in a fantasy world of violent video games. There are myriad such young men out there, but with dif- ferent ages of onset, in dif- ferent stages of derange- ment. Only a handful will ever harm anyone. What to do? Forcibly apprehend them, treat them, put them on per- petual preventive parole? By the tens of thousands? Committing the Jared Loughners would have an ef- fect. But even they are the ex- ception among the shooters. Yet “commonsense” gun con- trol would do even less. Unless you’re willing to go all the way. In the final quarter of his presidency, Obama can very well say what he wants. If he believes in Australian-style confiscation – i.e., abolishing the Second Amendment – why not spell it out? Until he does, he should stop demon- izing people for not doing what he won’t even propose. Charles Krauthammer’s email address is letters@charleskrauthammer.com. ©2015, Washington Post Writers Group [T]he only measure that might actually prevent mass killings has absolutely no chance of ever being enacted. Charles Krauthammer President Barack Obama, center, with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Roseburg Mayor Larry Rich, speaks to members of the media Friday following a meeting with families of the victims of the Oct. 1 shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. - Photo: AP 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”5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 13, 2015 CELEBRATING 10 YEARS WITH 10 GREAT AGENTS! www.capitalrealty.com.ky Paradise Gardens Subdivision Beach Bay Area, close to the new Hotel! Wonderful subdivision with gorgeous homes. 18ft above sea level, only a few lots left! Reasonable covenants to ensure your investment and upscale community. CI$80,000 CIREBA MLS 401846-50 Nitti Howe 925.1896 nitti@capitalrealtycayman.com Runner will chill out at Antarctica race next month KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Teresa Strad has never run a half-marathon, but she will soon compete in a most unusual – and chilly – one, in Antarctica. On Nov. 19, along with 50 other runners from all over the world, Ms. Strad will compete in one of the south- ernmost races on Earth, the Frozen Continent Half- Marathon, held in conjunc- tion with the Antarctic Ice Marathon, just a few hundred miles from the South Pole at Union Glacier. Ms. Strad will contend with temperatures av- eraging -4 degrees Fahrenheit, strong winds and an altitude of 2,300 feet, not to mention a snowy and icy route. “For me to do this … it’s not competitive, it’s the challenge of achieving it, it’s the challenge of being in Antarctica, one of the most desolate places in the world, and finishing a half-marathon,” Ms. Strad said. “It’s going to be an amazing experience.” Ms. Strad has run a few races before, a 5K and a 10K, and she has traveled and worked in various places around the world, but she never considered traveling to Antarctica, much less com- peting in a race there, until she saw an article in Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel 2014” book about the Antarctic Ice Marathon. “I thought, I could never run a marathon there, but then I saw there was a half- marathon [13.1 miles] and thought, ‘Oh I could do that,’” Ms. Strad said. Around the time she saw the article, she said, there was “some sadness in my family that made me look at me … at the age I am now and going forward. I looked at what I’d done in my life.” Ms. Strad, who was a nurse for 30 years, said that while she has been able to do some “incredible things” in her life, like working to help orphans in Romania after the fall of Nicolae Ceausescu’s regime, and volunteering for organizations that help ani- mals, she resolved to take on this new challenge. As soon as she put down the deposit on the trip, Ms. Strad began thinking of ways her endeavor could help others. She decided to raise money for many of the organizations she has vol- unteered for on island, in- cluding the humane Society, CARE, Canine Friends and Feline Friends, and One Dog at a Time. Then she decided a human element was missing, so she began speaking with the National Council of Voluntary Organisations about ways she could help its foster home. In addition to raising money, Ms. Strad came up with a creative way of letting the children in the foster home “tag along” on her Antarctic expedition. “I wanted to figure out how I could have a con- nection with the children, so I got a penguin,” Ms. Strad said. The toy penguin, yet to be named, will accompany Ms. Strad on her marathon journey. It traveled with her to New York when she went to buy the technical gear she needs to run in Antarctic temperatures, and it will be with her during the race. The penguin – and a photo album documenting its journey – will then live with the chil- dren in the foster home. “The kids can go, ‘See look, Teresa and whatever the pen- guin is named did this, and it was for us,’” Ms. Strad said. Ms. Strad said she hopes she can bring more atten- tion to the Nadine Andreas Residential Foster Home, and has begun to think of ways of continuing to help the home in future years. Ms. Strad said she is a “quiet person” and not one for putting herself “out there in the limelight” but now she feels that she is running the race for more than just herself. “It’s about the other people behind me now, watching me, wondering ‘how is she get- ting on, did she do it?’” Ms. Strad said. When she gets nervous she thinks, “Just deal with it.” “Yeah, you’re going to be scared, you’re going to be meeting people that you have never met before, but you’ve got to get out there and do it,” she said. She is not so concerned about the physical challenges of the race, which she will have six hours to complete. “I like it when it’s cold, and I think the adrenaline of actually being there and being a part of it is going to carry me through any other thoughts or worries,” Ms. Strad said. She is excited to expe- rience the “vastness, the rawness, the quietness” of Antarctica, but has also con- sidered how frightening it can be. She knows she’ll have to have her wits about her, and has considered ev- erything that could possibly go wrong. “What if Mother Nature has a hissy fit and I end up floating away on a piece of ice?” Ms. Strad will have her husband and a friend waiting in Punta Arenas, Chile, to celebrate with her after the race, and her mother in England and brother in New Zealand will be cheering her on remotely. She wishes her father, who died five years ago, was around to see her do this. “He would be so proud of me now,” Ms. Strad said. She said she feels hum- bled and privileged to be able to experience such an adven- ture, and cannot wait to run through the banner at the finish line with a Cayman Islands flag in her hands. Those wishing to donate may deposit funds into a bank account Ms. Strad has set up at Butterfield Bank, under the name, ‘Mission Antarctica 2015’ and account number 13615809-0019. For more information, visit www. facebook.com/missionantarctica2015. Seven arrested in crackdown on drunk driving KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Police arrested seven people on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol over the weekend. “Patrol officers were vigi- lant last weekend during rou- tine patrols,” Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Superintendent Adrian Seales said. Six men and one woman, ranging in age from 18 to 53, were arrested on suspicion of DUI, according to a police statement. Among them was a 47-year-old man who was also arrested for driving while disqualified. Six of the DUI arrests were on Saturday night and early Sunday morning. One person was arrested for DUI on Sunday. In addition to the DUI arrests, a 24-year-old man was arrested Saturday night on suspicion of driving without being licensed. Police said that 248 people have been arrested for DUI so far this year. “Drivers having consumed alcohol or planning to con- sume alcohol should have a designated driver, or simply call a taxi,” Mr. Seales said. “Driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious of- fense, not only for the driver but for other road users as it puts other road users at risk of serious injuries in a colli- sion or death. “Don’t drink and drive,” he said. Teresa Strad tries on the protective gear she will have to wear when she competes in a half-marathon in Antarctica in November. Teresa Strad and her running partner Nala at the Fidelity Fun Run.TUESDAY, OCT. 13 BRAC SENIORS: An island tour takes place 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. GEO-TOURISM LECTURE: 6 p.m. St. Matthew’s University, Regatta Office Park, first floor lecture hall. Geologist Brian Jones from the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta will explain some of the geological features readily apparent on Grand Cayman. Views from old postcards will be used as a guide. To register, contact education@nationaltrust.org.ky or 749-1121. Organized by National Trust and Water Authority Cayman. CHAMBER COURSE: “Communicating Effectively” by Terry Carson. Today and tomorrow, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Members, $225. Future members, $300. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: The National Workforce Development Agency will have a representative at the West Bay Library to assist with job registration. Communication Skills workshop offered. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. For more information, call 945-3114. LEADERSHIP CAYMAN: Orientation Session 2. 5:30- 6:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office in Governors Square. Free. Applications for Leadership Cayman accepted until Oct. 30. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. BOOKENDS CLUB: 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Books & Books. Club members meet to review their latest pick, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. All are invited to share insights and impressions in an open discussion. THURSDAY, OCT. 15 OLDER PERSONS MONTH: 5-8 p.m. Seniors will be special guests at the opening of a National Museum exhibition, “60+ and Shining.” SATURDAY, OCT. 17 GARAGE SALE: St. Alban’s Church 461 Shedden Rd. From 7 a.m. Children’s, women’s and men’s clothes, household items, books, toys and more. Phone 949-2757. CULL LIONFISH: Tournament today and tomorrow. The Cayman United Lionfish League (CULL) is calling all cullers. Help solve the lionfish invasion and win cash prizes for most lionfish, biggest lionfish, most overall weight and smallest lionfish. Great Lionfish Cook-off hosted by KARoo. Afterward, at 7 p.m., tournament winners will officially be announced. Registrations can be made on Thursday Oct. 15 at KARoo. For more information, contact Mark Orr at mark.orr@gov.ky. MONDAY, OCT. 19 SILENT WITNESS MARCH: Business and Professional Women’s Club Grand Cayman hosts the 15th annual Silent Witness March 5:30 p.m. to remember and honor those who have suffered as a result of domestic violence and bullying. Start at the Government Administration Building, along Elgin Avenue toward town, proceed to Edward Street and finish at Celebration Park behind the courthouse. A short ceremony will follow. TUESDAY, OCT. 20 GEORGE TOWN REVITALIZATION: George Town Revitalization Plan public meeting, 5:30-8:30 p.m. George Town Town Hall. The evening will include presentations from the consultants and government representatives spearheading the project, and time for questions. Refreshments will be provided. OLDER PERSONS MONTH: Eastern District Day takes place at the Bodden Town Civic Centre 5:30-8:30 p.m. BOOK SIGNING: 6 p.m. at Books & Books. Ellen Kanner will sign her book, “Feeding the Hungry Ghost.” This free event includes a presentation and group discussion. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21 FLOETRY: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Books & Books. Join some of Cayman’s poets and performers who share their work during an open mic night of poetry and readings. Share your own work, gain creative inspiration or simply enjoy the show. Free and open to the public. THURSDAY, OCT. 22 BRAC COURT: Aston Rutty Center today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. POP CONCERT: Triple C School Music Department presents a POP Concert featuring Erica Assai and Yung Fusion. The public is invited. Triple C School Multipurpose Hall, 6:30 p.m. Free admission. Refreshments on sale. For more information, contact the school office, 949-6022. BINGO & MINGLE: At Craft F&B. Tickets $15 each. Includes welcome drink and complimentary raffle ticket. Tickets available at Craft or through BPW members. Adults only. Bingo cards sold separately, $5 per card, 5-pack for $20, 15-pack $50. Prizes from Cayman’s best restaurants, hotels, and more. For more information, email info@bpwgcm.org. SATURDAY, OCT. 24 FILIPINO CELEBRATION: Cayman Outreach Association dinner concert. Triple C School Auditorium, 7:15 p.m. Admission $15. For details, call Raphael Bodden at 925-7798. FUN RUN: Save Our Youth Monster Dash 5K. 7 a.m. Camana Bay Town Center, For more details and registration costs, please visit soyfoundation.com. FUNDRAISER BBQ: St. Ignatius Church’s Confirmation Group Fundraiser. 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. School Canteen. Tickets $10. Phone 949-6797 for information. NCVO RADIO/TELETHON: Fundraiser for National Council of Voluntary Organisations, 7 p.m. till midnight at Prospect Playhouse. Live entertainment. Come by or call in to make a donation. To donate, prior to the event contact Janice Wilson at ncvo@ncvo.org.ky or 949-2124. BRAC FESTIVAL: Miss Cayman Brac Festival Queen, 7 p.m., Aston Rutty Civic Centre, Contact bracpiratesweek@gmail.com. SUNDAY, OCT. 25 OLDER PERSONS MONTH: On Little Cayman a church service and luncheon takes place at the Little Cayman Baptist Church at 11 a.m. TUESDAY, OCT. 27 BRAC SENIORS: An island tour takes place 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 BRAC SENIORS: Celebrating Older Persons Month, a social for Brac seniors will be at the Aston Rutty Civic Center 10 a.m.-2 p.m. THURSDAY, OCT. 29 BRAC THATCH PLAITING: 7-9 p.m. Heritage House, Cost $5, Contact simones@candw.ky. OLDER PERSONS MONTH: The Seniors Bash takes place at the Westin Casuarina Resort 6:30-10 p.m. FRIDAY, OCT. 30 OLDER PERSONS MONTH: Cayman National Cultural Foundation invites seniors to a special performance 8 p.m. at the Harquail Theatre. Limited spaces available. For more information, contact 949-0290. GENERAL INTEREST BUSINESS LICENSING: The Department of Commerce and Investment has extended its Business Licensing Counter hours in Grand Cayman from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, for people to submit trade and business, liquor, tobacco, and Special Economic Zone license applications. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Volunteers are needed. Tuesdays at the Truman Bodden Complex at 5:30 p.m. for Track/Field, Football and Bocce. No experience necessary, just a smile and patience. Wednesdays at Lions Pool 10:15–11 a.m. You do not have to swim, just be able to walk in water chest-deep. Thursdays at First Baptist Church for basketball, 5:30–7 p.m. Saturdays, volunteers needed for Adult Special Olympic swim conditioning at CIS pool 9:30–10:30 a.m. Deck support and in-water swimming assistance needed. For more information, contact Penny McDowall 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. 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. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-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. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Red Cross headquarters on Thomas Russell Way. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. 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. NCVO VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Volunteers are needed for various activities within the National Council of Voluntary Organizations Children Services programs. Contact Alta Solomon at 949-2124 or ncvocoordinator@ncvo.org.ky. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. PERIPHERAL SPACES: Open Tuesday to Saturday. Noon to 8 p.m. (closed by 3 p.m. on Saturdays). Market Street across from Bay Market. Pop up working studio/art gallery with local artist works displayed for sale. Art classes Tuesday and Thursday, 6-8 p.m., plus other special events. For more information, email marymccallum@candw.ky. 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 restaurant. For more information on displaying your work, email info@visualartcayman.com. 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. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the Catboat Club clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. For more information, call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. For more information, call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-Step Recovery Group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at CI Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman.com/ caycompass/portal/community-calendar. The 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. Tuesday OcTOber 13, 2015 • Cayman Compass The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 13, 2015 Cayman Compass. “Whether there is going to be enforcement of that is a whole dif- ferent issue,” he said. He believes the im- passe is creating more problems than it solves, putting an unreasonably high cost of business on legitimate marijuana startups and forcing them to the black market for financing. Answering questions at the event, organized by Global Compliance Solutions, at the Marriott resort, Mr. Ittleman said governments and finan- cial services regulators needed to find a better way of dealing with such high-risk businesses. He said the mari- juana trade was big busi- ness with $3 billion in legal sales last year and a further estimated $40 billion in black market sales. As more of that business becomes le- gitimate, he says there will be huge opportunity for financiers. But draconian “know your customer” re- quirements, including the filing of suspicious activity reports, are holding back banks from getting involved. “There is huge op- portunity here for some- body,” Mr. Ittleman said. “The cannabis phenom- enon is not going away. It is developing a foothold in Jamaica. It is fair to assume, given the popu- larity of the drug in the Caribbean, that other countries are going to start seeing what is hap- pening in Jamaica and saying, ‘us too.’ “There is an opportu- nity to build an industry that will create jobs, but there are legal issues that governments will have to be mindful of.” Mr. Ittleman drew comparisons with cur- rent issues around money transfer services in Cayman, where the cost of compliance with a toughening regulatory environment has been cited as one of the rea- sons banks are pulling out of the business. He believes banks and regulators need to build programs for high-risk businesses as opposed to kicking them out. “It is not enough just to throw out high- risk business and allow the black market to take over.” Providing a full suite of banking services, from payroll to credit, and charging to do so would allow banks to have the inside information re- quired to meet compli- ance requirements and recoup some of the costs, he predicted. While cannabis re- mains a Schedule I drug in the U.S., the environ- ment will be “uncom- fortable” for banks, he said. But once the smoke clears and the protocols for handling investments and profits in the legal marijuana industry be- come clear, he says there is enormous opportunity. “Someone is going to get very rich,” he said. Banking on weed a risky business CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 of credit when it comes to pushing the idea of broad- band for all – but they put no money in. Instead they un- ashamedly trade off the ef- forts and investments of net- work operators like Digicel to make money for themselves,” he said. Russell Richardson, general counsel for the Information and Communications Technology Authority, said he has not looked specifically at whether the Digicel software violates regulations for telecom com- panies in the Cayman Islands. “We are monitoring the situation and any impacts on businesses and consumers in the Cayman Islands,” he said. Digicel Group spokes- woman Antonia Graham, said in an email, “We have not en- gaged with ICTA – but it’s im- portant to point out that we are operating within the law and take our responsibilities in this regard very seriously.” Regulations in the Cayman Islands forbid service providers from doing things that “may af- fect trade in the Islands.” However, the Information and Communications Technology Authority can give a com- pany an exemption if the move improves production or distribution. The ad blocking soft- ware could run afoul of reg- ulators in the United States and the European Union, where blocking ads on the network level could be seen as discriminating against some types of Web content. Net neutrality, which means every type of data has to be treated equally by networks, has been a major topic of de- bate among telecoms regula- tors around the world. Officials in Europe and the U.S. have come down on the side of Net neu- trality, which would prevent Internet carriers from giving a faster connection to Netflix or Amazon, for example, if those companies are willing to pay for better speeds on the network. Shine CEO Ron Porat said in a statement, “As the first operator worldwide to deploy our technology at the net- work level, Digicel is making a clear call for an improved customer experience. We be- lieve it is now time for ev- eryone in the digital adver- tising ecosystem to look to the future and start having a conversation about how better and sustainable dig- ital advertising can be cre- ated to foster stronger, mutu- ally beneficial relationships that are based on transpar- ency and trust.” Digicel to block ads on mobile network a process that involves in- spections from the fire de- partment, Department of Environmental Health and hotel inspectors and requires payment of room taxes to government. Several residents using sites like Airbnb and vrbo. com to advertise rooms for rent have already taken their listings down after being warned they were breaking the law. “The Hotel Licensing Board hopes that indepen- dent tourism accommoda- tions operators will use the amnesty to educate them- selves on Tourism Law and the licensing process,” the statement said. Peter Huntingford, spokesman for Airbnb, told the Compass last month that the site brings in additional tourists and could help boost the Cayman Islands economy. He suggested it was unreal- istic to expect people hosting visitors in their homes to meet the same criteria as ho- tels and offered to work with tourism officials in Cayman to find a solution. The Hotel Licensing Board indicated, in its statement, that the current licensing re- gime would remain in place and said anyone who regis- ters during the amnesty will be exempted from enforce- ment action. “The Hotel Licensing Board is mandated to en- sure that every overnight vis- itor to the Cayman Islands is given an experience reflective of the quality of the Cayman Islands’ tourism product. A Tourism Accommodations License demonstrates that a property has undergone the appropriate quality assur- ance procedures and is oper- ating lawfully,” it added. While some users of Airbnb, which has grown in popularity in Cayman over the past 12 months, have said the requirements are too much for private in- dividuals simply making extra cash form their spare rooms, others welcome the enforcement. Jim Keim, who has mul- tiple rental properties in Cayman, including units at Ocean Pointe Villas and Villas Pappagallo in West Bay, said uniform regulations were needed. “While Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, and others offer new ways to rent property, it is a serious problem when local businesses are bur- dened with taxes and rules not being enforced on for- eign competitors. Besides loss of taxes, Airbnb rental issues have included illegal subletting, violation of con- dominium codes, dumping of expenses, insurance vio- lations, and squatter prob- lems,” he said. Mr. Keim, who is the Cayman-based director of Nasdaq-listed O2Micro International and has served on the executive committee of three large strata corpo- rations, acknowledged home sharing sites could increase tourism. But he said they lacked transparency and al- lowed some renters to escape paying taxes. “We also need to be sen- sitive to the fact that al- lowing U.S. companies unre- stricted access to our market can result in lost local em- ployment while enhancing U.S. jobs and tax coffers at our expense. In fact, the U.S. heavily taxes tourism busi- ness including taxation of Airbnb company profits, tax- ation of Airbnb employee incomes, property taxes, and rental income taxes,” he added. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Amnesty offered to unlicensed room renters CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Democratic debate a breakout chance for O’Malley, others DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Stuck far behind Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Martin O’Malley needs a breakout moment in the par- ty’s first debate to catch up to the front-runners. And he knows it. “This will really be the first time that nationally voters see that there’s more than one al- ternative to this year’s inevi- table front-runner, Secretary Clinton,” O’Malley said. “It’s a very, very impor- tant opportunity for me to not only present my vision for where the country should head, but also 15 years of ex- ecutive experience, actually accomplishing the progressive things some of the other can- didates can only talk about,” he said. The former governor of Maryland and mayor of Baltimore got into the race at the end of May, after tele- graphing for some time his plans to seek the White House in 2016. The entries of the two others who will be onstage Tuesday night in Las Vegas, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee, were sur- prises to most. But all three have one thing in common – an inability so far to generate any of the en- thusiasm among voters that has pushed Sanders into and kept Clinton at the top of the field. All three poll in low single digits in early prefer- ence surveys, well below even Vice President Joe Biden, who has yet to say if he’ll make a late entry into the race. O’Malley has been openly critical of the Democratic National Committee and the decision to hold six primary debates, with four sched- uled in early primary states before the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1. He has mounted a push for the party to expand the number, even encouraging protests in front of Democratic Party headquarters. Martin O’Malley Amid RussiAn AiRstRikes, Putin cRAze tAkes hold in mideAst BEIRUT (AP) – Amid the ornate walls of Damascus’ famed Omayyad Mosque, preacher Maamoun Rahmeh stood before wor- shippers last week, de- claring Russian President Vladimir Putin a “giant and beloved leader” who has “destroyed the myth of the self-aggrandizing America.” Posters of Putin are pop- ping up on cars and bill- boards elsewhere in parts of Syria and Iraq, praising the Russian military inter- vention in Syria as one that will redress the balance of power in the region. The Russian leader is winning accolades from many in Iraq and Syria, who see Russian airstrikes in Syria as a turning point after more than a year of largely ineffectual efforts by the U.S.-led coalition to dislodge the Islamic State militants who have occu- pied significant parts of the two countries. The reactions under- score that while the West may criticize Putin for sup- porting Syrian President Bashar Assad, there is some relief in the region at the emergence of a player with a coherent – if contro- versial – strategy. “Putin does more than just speak,” said Sohban Elewi of Damascus, sum- ming up the views of Syrians on opposing camps who regard U.S. policy in Syria and Iraq as fumbled and confused. Russia began its air campaign in Syria on Sept. 30, joining the fray of those bombing Syria at a critical time for Assad and his em- battled troops. The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Tuesday OcTOber 13, 2015 • Cayman Compass Ex-retail boss heads UK pro-EU group The former chief executive of retail chain Marks & Spencer is heading a campaign to persuade Britons to stay in the European Union, arguing Monday that quitting could leave the country isolated, less secure and economically weakened. AP source: Lack of written contract led to FIFA suspensions ZURICH (AP) – The lack of a written contract and a delay collecting payment led to the 90-day suspensions for Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, a person familiar with the FIFA ethics case told The Associated Press on Monday. Blatter and Platini were handed 90-day bans last week after failing to provide written evidence to justify a payment of 2 million Swiss francs (about US$2 million) that Platini received from FIFA in 2011 – nine years after the job was completed, according to the person. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak pub- licly about the case. Both Blatter, the FIFA president, and Platini, his counterpart at UEFA, face longer bans if the FIFA ethics committee proves its case to ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert. The full verdicts are expected before the 90-day suspensions end. Both deny wrongdoing and are appealing against their suspensions. The ethics case was trig- gered by Blatter and Platini becoming embroiled in a criminal investigation in Switzerland over the same payment. Blatter was ques- tioned as a suspect and Platini is being investigated by the Swiss attorney general as something between a wit- ness and a suspect. The payment relates to the time when Platini worked for Blatter as an adviser from 1998 until 2002, when the former France captain joined the FIFA executive committee. Contractually, Platini was to be paid 300,000 Swiss francs per year for his job. He claims an additional 500,000 Swiss francs per year was to be deferred. The Frenchman received 1.05 million Swiss francs for 3-1/2 years of work, the person said, reiterating details first published by The Guardian newspaper on Monday. According to the person, there was only a verbal agreement on the additional 500,000 Swiss francs per year – the amount eventually paid in 2011. Under Swiss law, Platini should have called in the debt within five years. Platini, who was also a FIFA vice president under Blatter until he was sus- pended on Thursday, said two weeks ago that he was not paid “the totality of my salary because of FIFA’s financial situation at that time.” A statement from the ethics committee’s adju- dicatory chamber, which is headed by Eckert, said Monday that it interviewed Platini for more than five hours on Oct. 1. Eckert “did not see a need for a second hearing” before imposing the provisional suspension, the statement added. UEFA has rebuffed re- quests by the AP to ask Platini to provide a contract that shows FIFA owed him 2 million Swiss francs. Some soccer nations have also pub- licly questioned Platini’s lim- ited public explanation. UEFA said last week that Platini feels “he has given satisfactory explanations to the authorities that are dealing with this case.” The provisional ban looks set to derail Platini’s hopes of standing in the FIFA pres- idential election, which is scheduled for Feb. 26. But the FIFA executive com- mittee could decide to post- pone the ballot when it meets on Oct. 20. The ethics case was triggered by Blatter and Platini becoming embroiled in a criminal investigation in Switzerland over the same payment. FIFA provisionally banned President Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini for 90 days. - PHOTO: AP Palestinians carry out three stabbing attacks in Jerusalem JERUSALEM (AP) – Palestinians carried out three stabbing attacks against Israelis and police in Jerusalem on Monday and two of the attackers were shot dead, Israeli police said, as a wave of violence continued. Two Palestinians stabbed two Israelis in Jerusalem, prompting police to open fire, killing one of the attackers and wounding the other, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Police said the two victims, one 16 years old and the other 20, were se- riously wounded. The attack took place in Pisgat Zeev, a Jewish settle- ment in traditionally Arab east Jerusalem, which Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel considers the en- tire city its undivided capital. Earlier Monday, else- where in Jerusalem, police officers noticed a Palestinian man acting suspiciously and ordered him to take his hand out of his pocket, Israeli po- lice spokeswoman Luba Samri said. The man then attacked an officer with a knife, but the officer was wearing a protective vest and was not injured, she said. Other officers shot the attacker dead, police said. The attack took place near the Lions Gate of Jerusalem’s walled Old City on the predominantly Arab eastern sector. In the afternoon, an Israeli police officer con- fronted a Palestinian woman who was acting suspiciously, Samri said. The woman then stabbed and lightly wounded him before he shot and wounded her, she said. That attack took place near police headquarters in Jerusalem, in an area that straddles the eastern dis- trict and the predominantly Jewish west. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded sev- eral Israelis. Nine of the at- tackers have been shot dead. Past weeks have also seen vi- olent demonstrations in the West Bank and Gaza, and at least 16 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, including a mother and toddler killed Sunday in a Gaza airstrike. At the start of the month, two Israelis were killed in a West Bank shooting attack and two Israelis were stabbed to death in Jerusalem. Last month an Israeli motorist was killed when Palestinians hurled stones at his ve- hicle in Jerusalem, causing it to crash. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed the violence on in- citement by groups in- cluding the Islamic Movement, which runs re- ligious and educational ser- vices for Arab citizens of Israel. Netanyahu is seeking sanctions on the group, which has led a campaign accusing Israel of plotting to take over a sacred Old City compound revered by both Jews and Muslims, a claim Israel denies. PrinceTOn’s Angus DeATOn wins nObel ecOnOmics Prize STOCKHOLM (AP) – Princeton University’s Angus Deaton won the Nobel prize in economics Monday for work that was helped redefine the way poverty is measured around the world, notably in India. Deaton, 69, won the 8 million Swedish kronor (about US$975,000) prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for work that the award com- mittee says has had “im- mense importance for human welfare, not least in poor countries.” The secretary of the award committee Torsten Persson said Deaton’s re- search has “really shown other researchers and in- ternational organizations like the World Bank how to go about understanding poverty at the very basic level so that’s perhaps the finest and most important contribution he has made,” Persson singled out Deaton’s work in showing how individual behavior affects the wider economy and that “we cannot un- derstand the whole without understanding what is happening in the miniature economy of our daily choices.” Deaton, who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and holds U.S. and British dual citizenship, said he was delighted to have won the prize and was pleased that the committee de- cided to award work that concerns the poor people of the world. In a press conference following the announce- ment, Deaton said he ex- pects extreme poverty in the world to continue de- creasing but that he is not “blindly optimistic.” Screenshot showing an image of Professor Angus Deaton, winner of the 2015 Nobel prize in economics. - PHOTO: AP Palestinian lawyers run from tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a demonstration called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Tuesday OcTOber 13, 2015 In Loving memory of Holland A. Gray, Sr Who departed this life 10 years ago October 12, 2005 We thought of you today But that is nothing new We thought of you yesterday and will tomorrow too We think of you in silence and make no outward show for what it meant to lose you Only those who love you know Remembering you is easy We do it every day though you died. Who departed this life 10 years ago October 12, 2005 From your family Former American POWs visit Japan, recount memories YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) – Nine former American servicemen who were held as prisoners during World War II were in Japan on Monday to revisit some of the places where they were held seven decades ago and recount their memories. The men, all in their 90s, opened their tour with a memorial service for their fellow fallen soldiers at the Commonwealth War Graves in Yokohama, near Tokyo. As they marked the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, the emphasis was on reconciliation. George Rogers, of Lynchburg, Virginia, said he had no hard feelings. Now 96, he was taken captive by the Japanese after surviving the infamous Bataan Death March in April 1942 and forced to work at the Yawata steel plant in southern Japan, or today’s Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. During his nearly 3 1/2 years of captivity, Rogers was given meager food rations and sometimes beaten up. He said that he was lucky to survive, but that he har- bored “no hard feelings” to- ward his captors. “Just like we do what we’re told to do as far as the Army is concerned, your [Japanese] men do the same thing. They tell them to do it, they do it,” he said. “Other than that, I think we lived.” A month after Japan’s Aug. 15, 1945, surrender, Rogers returned to the U.S. in skin- and-bone state, weighing only 85 pounds despite being 6-foot-3. His doctor told him – he was 26 then – that he would most likely not live past 45 or 50, keep his teeth or have children. Rogers still has his teeth, and has five children. One of them, Jeffrey, accompanied him on his trip to Japan. “They didn’t give me any food, and I didn’t get much water when I needed it, but other than that, it was a long trip, very far,” he said. His hope to revisit the steel plant was not accom- modated. The Yawata plant was chosen as a World Heritage site. During the Bataan march, thousands of prisoners were forced to walk more than 60 miles under se- vere, sweltering conditions while being abused by their captors. Many died. Some 132,000 allied force members were held as pris- oners across Asia during World War II, including more than 30,000 in Japan, histo- rians say. They say that of the total, about 35,800, or nearly one-third, died in captivity – dying at a rate several times higher than prisoners held by Germany and Italy. At Monday’s memorial service, the nine veterans, as- sisted by their family mem- bers and attendees from the U.S. Navy, laid flowers for their fellow countrymen who perished while in captivity. The participants, vis- iting Japan at the invita- tion of the Foreign Ministry under a program for reconcil- iation that started five years ago, are scheduled to visit some of former camp sites, including Osaka, Yokohama and Kamioka, central Japan. Japan has similar pro- grams with Australia and Britain. Many former POWs still harbor hard feelings be- cause of harsh treatment by the Japanese. It took 94-year old Arthur Gruenberg, from Camano Island, Washington, 70 years to come back. The former Marine surrendered at Corregidor, Philippines, in May 1942, and was eventu- ally shipped to a Fukuoka mine in southern Japan. By then he was blind in one eye due to vitamin A deficiency. Gruenberg said he was simply impressed by Japan’s postwar development and hoped it remains a peace- loving nation. “Everything is just amazing, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “I can’t say it [my feelings] has changed much, I just hope we don’t have any more wars.” Former American prisoner of war George W. Rogers, 96, of Lynchburg, Virginia, assisted by his son, Jeffrey, walks at the Commonwealth War Graves in Yokohama near Tokyo on Monday. - Photo: AP British Vulcan bomber’s farewell tour draws crowds of 250,000 LONDON – More than a quarter of a million people craned their necks skyward at the weekend to view the final tour of Britain by the last flying Vulcan bomber, which carried Britain’s nu- clear arsenal at the height of the Cold War and helped pave the way for the super- sonic Concorde airliner. Saturday’s flight spanned northern Britain and Sunday’s took in Wales and southern England, with thou- sands gathered at each of 60 designated way-points in- cluding airports, aircraft fac- tories and Royal Air Force bases as the delta-winged jet swooped low overhead. A star turn at air shows with a roar that sets off car alarms for miles around, the Vulcan is to cease flying after manufacturers including BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce Holdings ended their support following the loss of historic engineering skills. About 7 million pounds (US$11 mil- lion) was raised to get the jet airborne in 2008, half a cen- tury after its maiden flight. “The reception and turnout this weekend was magnificent,” said Robert Pleming, chief executive of- ficer of the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, which owns the bomber. “It’s the end of an era in British aviation and people just wanted to see this beautiful aircraft flying one more time.” Built by Avro, which merged into Hawker Siddeley and BAE, the Vulcan first took to the skies in 1952 as the second of Britain’s so- called V-Bombers along- side the Vickers Valiant and Handley Page Victor, with 136 produced. Designed to fly at almost 600 miles per hour at alti- tudes of up to 60,000 feet, the aircraft carried a variety of atomic bombs and later the rocket-propelled Blue Steel nuclear missile, and were painted in anti-flash white to help reflect some of the thermal radiation from a nu- clear explosion. When the government switched to ground-based missiles the model assumed a less prominent role, only to be reactivated for long-range bombing sorties that pre- vented Argentinian fighters from using the main runway in the Falkland Islands during the 1982 war. Retired from front-line service with the RAF in 1984, a lone aircraft, regis- tration XH558, was returned to flying order in 2008 with money raised via public do- nations and Britain’s national lottery fund. With a joystick instead of the usual bomber yoke, har- nessed to 50,000 pounds of thrust, the 70-ton plane has wowed crowds at air shows around Europe with an agility that allows it to perform displays usually the preserve of jet fighters half its size – topped off by howl of four Rolls-Royce Olympus engines that later powered Concorde. As popular as ever with the public, keeping the Vulcan flying indefinitely has proved impossible even as older but easier to main- tain models such as the Lancaster, also built by Avro, remain air-show stalwarts. While the tour was the last chance for most to see the plane, two short flights are planned this month before the aircraft finally becomes a museum piece. © 2015, Bloomberg News Budweiser’s PArent rAises offer for sABMiller to $108B LONDON (AP) – Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev raised its takeover bid for SABMiller to 70.4 billion pounds (US$108.2 billion) Monday in its latest effort to win backing for its plan to create “the first truly global beer company.” AB InBev has been trying for nearly a month to get its hands on SABMiller but its previous offers have met with resistance. It will be hoping that its latest offer, which values SABMiller at 43.50 pounds a share – 3.2 percent more than its pre- vious bid and 14 percent higher than its initial offer – will finally win the day. SABMiller declined to comment on the fresh offer. Shares of London-based SABMiller rose 1 percent to 37 pounds a share on re- ports of the improved bid. Were an agreement to eventually emerge, the com- bined company would have 31 percent of the global beer market, dwarfing the next biggest player, Heineken, which has 9 percent of the market. A combined com- pany would have total an- nual sales of $73.3 billion. Market leader AB InBev al- ready has six of the world’s largest beer brands. In addi- tion to Budweiser, it owns in- clude Stella Artois and Beck’s. The Vulcan bomber, designed to fly at almost 600 miles per hour at altitudes of up to 60,000 feet, carried a variety of atomic bombs and later the rocket-propelled Blue Steel nuclear missile. - Photo: BlooMBerg newsNext >