ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2016 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA Derek Byrne to join Cayman force in November BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Derek Patrick Byrne, a 36- year veteran of Ireland’s Na- tional Police Service, has been selected as the new commis- sioner of the Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service, the Gover- nor’s Office has announced. Mr. Byrne will join the RCIPS in No- vember on a four-year contract. Mr. Byrne currently is the assistant commissioner of “the guards” – as Ireland’s national police service is sometimes called – and has supervised op- erations and strategic command for serious and organized crime incidents for the last eight years. The Dublin native joined the guards in 1979 and was appointed as assistant com- missioner of national support services there in May 2007, ac- cording to the Irish national po- lice website. Mr. Byrne attended Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland and has trained with both the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation at Quantico, Vir- ginia, and with Scotland Yard during his career. He also holds a diploma from the National College of Ireland in manage- ment and industrial relations. In a press statement released Friday by the governor’s office, Mr. Byrne said it was a “great honor” to be selected to lead the RCIPS. Governor Helen Kilpat- rick said she was glad to have “a distinguished police officer of Mr. Byrne’s caliber” heading the local police service. “The complexity of policing leadership, by its very nature, brings with it great responsi- bility to lead with confidence, inspiration and integrity,” Mr. Byrne said Friday. “I am com- mitted to ensuring that the RCIPS will work in partnership with communities across the Cayman Islands to deliver a po- licing service that has the trust and confidence of the communi- ties it serves. “Within my first month I will visit all of the Islands to meet with community leaders, com- munity groups and business leaders to obtain a first-hand ac- count of policing requirements NEW ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION ‘MUST REGAIN PUBLIC TRUST’ BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com For the first time in its existence, the Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Commission is no longer presided over by a member of local law enforcement and has no government employees appointed to its membership. Former Cayman Islands Attorney Gen- eral Richard Coles was named commission chairman on Friday along with three other prominent Caymanians from the private sector in what completes a significant shift for the body charged with overseeing investi- gations into allegations of public corruption. Mr. Coles, who has also served as chairman of the Cayman Islands Human Rights Com- mission, will become just the second person to hold the Anti-Corruption Commissioner’s post, Bolt’s journey from obscurity to sports posterity EDDIE PELLS RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Long before Usain Bolt led Jamaica to the gold medal in the 4x100 meter relay Friday, cementing his legacy as the greatest sprinter ever, his journey began in a rain-drenched 5,000-seat stadium on an island between Manhattan and Queens. Some Jamaican kid with the improbably awesome name of “Bolt” was in the Big Apple, not so much to announce his presence to the world, but to figure out who he was. We clambered into a van and headed over to Icahn Stadium. The headliner that night: American sprinter Tyson Gay. Or so we thought. Wearing a white top and black shoes – nothing flashy – Bolt took off out of lane 4 for the men’s 100 meters. He busted through the blue tape in 9.72 seconds. That was the new world record. The Beijing Olympics were still two months away, and Bolt was still wondering which race he would add to his specialty, the 200 meters. His coach had urged him to do the 400. At 6-foot-5, the thought went, Bolt was simply too awkward to burst from the starting blocks and build enough speed to win the shortest sprint. Everybody thought wrong. “I wasn’t really looking for a world re- cord,” Bolt said that night, “but it was there for the taking.” He took it again in Beijing. Then took it in the 200. Then again in the 4x100 relay. He closed out his Olympic career in style Friday night, making it 9 for 9 in the Olympic sprints. Jamaica’s Usain Bolt celebrates winning the gold medal in the men’s 4x100-meter relay final during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. - PHOTO: AP PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » 36-year Irish police veteran tapped to head up RCIPS PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 16 » Derek Patrick Byrne2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - MONDAY - PETE’S DRAGON 3D (PG) 1:00 I 4:10 2D I 7:00 I 9:45 2D SAUSAGE PARTY (R) 12:45 I 3:00 I 5:15 I 7:30 I 9:55 BAD MOMS (R) 4:20 I 10:00 SUICIDE SQUAD 3D (PG13) 12:50 2D I 3:45 I 6:30 2D I 9:15 THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (PG) 1:30 | 7:15 BEN-HUR 3D (PG13) 1:15 2D I 3:30 | 6:45 2D I 9:30 JASON BOURNE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:15 I 6:50 I 9:50 640-FILM (640-3456) SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Puerto Rico on Friday re- ported its first death from a paralysis condition that developed from a Zika in- fection as the U.S. territory fights an epidemic of the mosquito-borne virus. The victim was a man between 35 and 45 years old from the San Juan metro area who died from Guil- lain-Barre, according to state epidemiologist Brenda Rivera. The condition can cause temporary paralysis and in rare instances, death. Rivera noted that it’s unusual for the victim to be so young. “What does this tell us? That all of us are suscep- tible,” Rivera said as she urged Puerto Ricans to pro- tect themselves from the mosquito-borne virus. The man, who died last month, was obese but did not have any other health conditions, she said. No fur- ther details about the victim were provided. The U.S. territory has 13,186 confirmed Zika cases, with a total of 102 hospi- talizations and 34 cases of Guillain-Barre. The number of cases is believed to be much higher because eight of 10 people have no symp- toms and many do not go to the doctor. Those infected include 1,106 pregnant women, which is a con- cern because Zika has been linked to birth defects. “We are not going to see the effects of Zika today,” Ri- vera said. “We are going to see them in the next couple of months, in the next several years.” Puerto Rico reported the first Zika-related micro- cephaly case acquired on U.S. soil in May, involving a dead fetus that a woman turned over to health authorities. Since then no microcephaly cases have been reported, but federal officials say it is only a matter of time. A study published Friday in JAMA Pediatrics estimates that up to 270 babies in Puerto Rico could be born with microcephaly through mid-2017. The author of the study is an official with the U.S. Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention. The U.S. government last week declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico because of Zika. Federal officials have warned that up to 25 per- cent of Puerto Rico’s nearly 3.5 million people could become infected. The CDC recently urged Puerto Rico fight Zika with the insecticide naled through aerial spraying, but the governor rejected that proposal and instead autho- rized the use of Bti, an or- ganic larvicide. The U.S. territory has 13,186 confirmed Zika cases, with a total of 102 hospitalizations. PUERTO RICO SEES 1ST DEATH FROM PARALYSIS LINKED TO ZIKA The fourth annual Pete Ribbins Me- morial Ride last Sunday raised almost $6,000 for HospiceCare. More than 90 cyclists ranging in age from 8 to 72 took part in either the 40km or 10km rides. The money for HospiceCare was raised through registrations for the race as well as donations from Consolidated Water’s Cayman and U.S. staff, which were matched by the company. The ride, inaugurated as part of Con- solidated Water’s 40th anniversary cel- ebrations in 2013, is held in honor of the company’s late general manager, Peter Ribbins, who was cared for by Hospi- ceCare and who was an active member of the Cayman sporting community. John Tonner, chief operating officer of Consolidated Water and founder of the event, said in a press release, “It was great to have the weather coop- erate and for the sun to shine on an event that supports a cause as worthy as Cayman Hospice. The good folks at Hospice help so many in the commu- nity, including our old friend Pete Rib- bins, and they do so during stressful and emotional times. “It is hard work that they do and we are happy to support them. We would like to say a huge ‘Thank you’ to the police and Red Cross who helped keep everyone safe and for all the local businesses who donated prizes which were raffled off to reward participants of all ages.” He added, “We are already looking forward to next year’s event and dis- cussing how to grow it so we can sup- port the great work that Hospice does.” The ride started and ended at the Abel Castillo Water Works in Governors Har- bour. Kevin Morales of Cayman 27’s “Let’s Talk Sports” was the master of ceremonies. Kerrie McMillan, in charge of opera- tions and fundraising at Cayman Hos- piceCare, said, “It is always such a plea- sure to be involved in the Pete Ribbins Memorial Ride. “It is a fun, family friendly event in memory of a wonderful person, and Cayman HospiceCare, as the benefi- ciary, is extremely grateful to all those who participate.” Ribbins Ride brings in $6,000 for HospiceCare More than 90 cyclists joined in the Pete Ribbins Memorial Ride. Master of ceremonies Kevin Morales presents a prize to 8-year-old cyclist Nathin Irving, visiting from New Jersey, who took part in the 10km ride with his father Euclid Irving. MIAMI (AP) – South Beach has been identified as a second site of Zika trans- mission by mosquitoes on the U.S. mainland, and con- taining it there will be diffi- cult because high-rise build- ings and strong winds make it impractical to spray the neighborhood from the air, officials said Friday. Five cases of Zika have been connected to mos- quitoes in Miami Beach, bringing the state’s caseload to 36 infections not related to travel outside the U.S., Flori- da’s governor and health de- partment announced Friday. The discovery prompted the U.S. Centers for Dis- ease Control and Prevention to announce that it was ex- panding its travel warning for pregnant women to in- clude an area in Miami Beach known for nightclubs, pedestrian thoroughfares and beaches. Zika infection can cause severe brain-related birth de- fects, including a dangerously small head, if women are in- fected during pregnancy. The virus’s apparent spread from a Miami neigh- borhood popular for day trips to the South Beach streets where many tourists sleep has rattled the tourism industry, even in the slower summer season. Gov. Rick Scott has di- rected Florida’s health de- partment to offer mosquito spraying and related services at no cost to Miami-Dade County’s hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. More than 15.5 million people made overnight visits to Miami and nearby beaches in 2015, with an impact of $24.4 billion, according to figures from the Greater Miami Con- vention and Visitors Bureau. The CDC previously warned pregnant women to avoid the Wynwood arts dis- trict in Miami. In its state- ment Friday, the agency said pregnant women may also want to consider post- poning nonessential travel throughout Miami-Dade County if they’re concerned about potential exposure to the mosquito-borne virus. “We’re in the midst of mosquito season and expect more Zika infections in the days and months to come,” said CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden. “It is difficult to pre- dict how long active trans- mission will continue.” Zika prompts travel warning for Miami Beach3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2016 174070_PRINT-Avis-Payless-FleetSPage 1 8/18/16 10:05:47 AM Trial by jury set for Nov. 28 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Latecia Jarrett pleaded not guilty to a charge of arson on Friday and her at- torney advised that the trial would be by jury rather than judge alone. Jarrett, 37, is accused of damaging by fire, without lawful excuse, a number of buildings on Cruz Lane (off Eastern Avenue) in George Town, either intending or being reckless as to whether the property would be de- stroyed or damaged and being reckless as to whether the life of another would thereby be endangered. Details of the charge list three people as being the owners of the buildings, which were described in a previous court hearing as the homes of eight people. The charge arose after an in- cident in the early hours of Sunday, July 31. Justice Charles Quin set the trial to start on Monday, Nov. 28. Defense attorney Amelia Fosuhene estimated that the matter would take three days. She noted that Jarrett was currently in custody, but asked that a bail hearing be scheduled in the near future. Crown counsel Nicole Petit subsequently confirmed the spelling of the defen- dant’s name, which had ap- peared in different versions on earlier court documents. Temporary new housing has been found for the fam- ilies that were living in the three adjoining buildings on Cruz Lane and the remnants of the buildings were in the process of being demolished last week. Jarrett, 37, is accused of damaging by fire, without lawful excuse, a number of buildings on Cruz Lane in George Town, either intending or being reckless as to whether the property would be destroyed or damaged. Woman pleads not guilty to Cruz Ln. arson Victim airlifted to Jamaica in effort to save his arm CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Kevin Corey Bowen was remanded in custody on Friday for a further appear- ance in Grand Court on charges of attempted murder and possession of an unli- censed firearm. Crown counsel Scott Wainwright said Bowen, 34, was also charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, as an al- ternative to the attempted murder charge. The allegation is that Bowen shot the victim at close range with a shotgun. The incident occurred on Grescott Lane in Rock Hole, George Town, in the early hours of Aug. 7. In Summary Court, Mr. Wainwright told Magistrate Philippa McFarlane that the victim/complainant had been flown off-island for treatment in an attempt to save his arm. Defense attorney Laura Larner did not make any application for bail at this time. All parties agreed that attempted murder is a charge that must be trans- mitted immediately to the Grand Court. The magistrate set the case for mention in the higher court on Friday, Sept. 16. The allegation is that Bowen shot the victim at close range with a shotgun. Attempted murder charge sent to Grand Court The scene of the fire on Cruz Lane after some initial demolition work earlier this month.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. 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 EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Typically, the formation of government boards (like the formulation of government reports) merits only a passing mention within the pages of this newspaper. Their utility too often expires with the last echo of introductory applause. However, on occasion a government announcement hits our inboxes carrying a certainty that, in this case, this group of individuals will have a significant impact on the workings of the public sector. The appointment of the new Cayman Islands Anti-Cor- ruption Commission is such a case, and the new board is such a group. We, therefore, laud the selection of commission chairman Richard Coles and members Timothy Ridley, Sophia Harris, Norman Bodden and Kadi Pentney-Merren. Their appointments ought to give great assurance to the law-abiding segments of society, and conversely send chills down the spines of less-than-scrupulous individuals in the public service. Back in November 2015, we called on Governor Helen Kilpatrick to expedite the process of filling out the five- member board, which at the time was composed mainly of appointed officials serving ex officio (the police com- missioner, complaints commissioner and auditor general). We noted that, during the fallout from the international FIFA corruption scandal, the commission had met only once since February 2015, and had only one “permanent” (i.e. “non-acting”) member, then-Police Commissioner David Baines. We said, “[W]hen it comes to the vacancies on the Anti-Corruption Commission, and when it comes to battling corruption in Cayman generally, the buck stops on the governor’s desk.” After a nine-month waiting period, and legislation that overhauled the makeup of the commission (which now is wholly comprised of private citizens), the governor has finally moved decisively. From top to bottom, the five- member commission (four of them attorneys) bespeaks seriousness and substance. • Mr. Coles, the new chairman, is a former Cayman Islands attorney general. He also has served as chairman of the Human Rights Commission, as head of Cayman Finance, and as a member of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission • Mr. Ridley is a former senior partner at local law firm Maples and Calder and former board chairman of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. As evidence of the Compass’s esteem for Mr. Ridley, in the past he has also been chairman of the editorial board of Cayman Financial Review, one of our sister publica- tions. To put it mildly, Mr. Ridley knows the workings of our country’s private financial services industry – and its public sector regulator – inside and out • Ms. Harris is managing partner of local law firm Solomon Harris. Over the years, she has built a well- deserved reputation as one of the foremost authori- ties on Cayman immigration law, and more generally as one of the country’s most respected attorneys • Mr. Bodden, of Bodden & Bodden Attorneys at Law and Bodden Corporate Services, has served on the commission since last December and is the only returning appointee. Now known chiefly for his suc- cessful business endeavors, Mr. Bodden was a member of the Legislative Assembly for 12 years, until 1992 • Ms. Pentney-Merren is an accountant who won the Young Caymanian Leadership Award in 2014. She also is an entrepreneur, founding local business Tea Time in Cayman. We must congratulate Governor Kilpatrick for her selection of commission members. To the commission members themselves, we offer our full support in this all- important endeavor. Corruption is a cancer in all societies, and it must be extricated at the root, or it will ultimately destroy the foundations upon which our way of life is dependent. Cayman’s new anti-corruption ‘Dream Team’ The inventions that changed our genetic code FAYE FLAM Of all living things, why do humans alone create advanced technology? Not long ago, sci- entists thought it was because we are the only intelligent life form on this planet. That expla- nation alone no longer suffices. Over the last decade, scientists have discovered that crows can use tools, hyenas can cooperate to solve complex problems, jays can plan for the future, rats and voles can demonstrate em- pathy, and ducklings are ca- pable of abstract thought. Yet our technology is ex- traordinary. Why were we the ones to transform the planet? A clue comes from a recent paper on a genetic change that helped our ancient ancestors tolerate smoke after fire was invented. It’s the latest finding to bolster the increasingly compelling notion that natural selection acts on our species in a unique way. While evo- lution forces all living things to adapt to changing natural environments, this emerging school of thought holds, it also forces humans to adapt to our own inventions. And indeed, there’s evidence we have been physically reshaped by agricul- ture, dairy farming, stone tools, spears and the taming of fire. In the paper linking the taming of fire to biological evolution, published earlier this month in the journal Mo- lecular Biology and Evolu- tion, scientists identified a ge- netic mutation that allows us to better break down the most toxic chemicals that make up wood smoke. The authors showed that all present-day humans carry this mutation, which is not present in chim- panzees or, as far as they can tell, any other animals. (Other mammals share the same gene, but without this poten- tially beneficial mutation.) By scraping DNA from ancient skeletons, scientists found that the mutation was present in the 45,000-year-old bones of a human ancestor. Importantly, they also found that Neanderthals lacked this mutation, though there’s plenty of evidence they too depended on fire to cook and keep warm. Why didn’t they get it? Bad luck. In the game of evolution, new versions of genes may spread because they endow individuals with a survival or reproductive advantage, but the changes ap- pear in the first place through random chance. The Neanderthal version of the gene wasn’t necessarily deadly, but the study’s lead au- thor, Pennsylvania State Univer- sity’s Gary Perdew, describes it as a risk factor. Regular inha- lation of smoke can weaken the immune system, he says, making people more vulnerable to tuberculosis and other infec- tious diseases. There’s no way to know if this contributed to the Neanderthals dying out – but having a genetic advantage may well have helped our lin- eage to thrive. Similar examples abound. In his 2015 book “The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Do- mesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter,” Harvard anthropologist Joseph Hen- rich observed that the inven- tion of milking animals would have pushed the spread of genes that allowed people to digest lactose. But before that gene spread to all potential milk-drinkers, some commu- nities invented cheese and yo- gurt, which are much lower in lactose. Those inventions in turn may have dampened the spread of lactose tolerance. Another example: Scien- tists suspect that genes al- lowing us to metabolize al- cohol arose some 10 million years ago, when apes de- scended from the trees and feasted on partially fermented fruit. But Henrich proposes that the invention of rice wine in Asia prompted the spread of another genetic variant – one that causes people to be- come nauseous and flushed if they drink more than a small amount – thus protecting them from the perils of excess. Similarly, in 2013, Har- vard anthropologist Daniel Lieberman and colleagues demonstrated a connection between the invention of the spear and the human ability to throw. “We are the only spe- cies capable of throwing hard and fast and accurately at the same time,” he said. In another recent paper, Lieberman and colleagues argued that the in- vention of stone tools to cut up meat allowed human teeth and jaws to shrink, perhaps al- lowing them to become better adapted for talking. Some people argue that evolution has stopped, Li- eberman said, because tech- nology allows us to adapt to dietary and climate changes and even new diseases without the help of natural selection. But that’s wrong, he said. Tech- nology has been driving evolu- tion for a long time, and there’s no reason to think that facet of it will stop – at least, not un- less our species goes extinct. The interplay between cul- tural and genetic changes rep- resents what Henrich calls a major biological transition, turning us into “a new kind of animal.” To be human isn’t to be “just a really smart, though somewhat less hairy chim- panzee,” he writes in “The Se- cret of Our Success.” What makes us special is our col- lective smarts – the advanced state of our cultural develop- ment – which appears to be in- tertwined with our biological evolution. In other words, when humans invent technology, we also reinvent ourselves. Faye Flam is a Bloomberg View columnist. She was a staff writer for Science magazine and a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and she is the author of ‘The Score: How the Quest for Sex Has Shaped the Modern Man.’ © 2016, Bloomberg Technology has been driving evolution for a long time, and there’s no reason to think that facet of it will stop – at least, not unless our species goes extinct.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2016 A Miami Shopping Spree is in the cards! †Conditions apply including a minimum spending amount of US$25 to obtain an entry into the competition. Subject to credit approval. Offers subject to change without notice. The trip to Miami is for the cardholder (and his/her guest) who has fulfilled all the Terms and Conditions of the contest and whose name is selected as the winner. The trip includes airfare to and from Miami for the winner and guest, plus US$1,000 (or local equivalent) that will be credited to his/her credit card. Visit cayman.scotiabank. com/shopmiami for full Terms & Conditions or pick up a brochure in branch. ®Registered trademark of the Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. ®MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. American Airlines®, AAdvantage® and Million Miler are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. Visit your branch or cayman.scotiabank.com/shopmiami Use your card today! Contest and Welcome Bonus ends September 30, 2016. NEED A CARD? APPLY TODAY! Get a Welcome Bonus plus additional chances to win when you use your new card.† #ShopMiami Use your Scotiabank credit card and you could win round-trip airline tickets for 2 to Miami plus US$1,000 to spend.† Here’s how to win 1 of these 10 trips! Use any Scotiabank credit card for all your purchases and payments. The more you use your card, the more chances you’ll get to win.† Cayman_Miami_CreditCard2016_Compass_JrPage_6.8222x12.indd 18/16/16 10:02 PM Butterfield to refund currency fees on CI debit charges BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Some Butterfield Bank customers who have inad- vertently been charged for- eign transaction fees on pur- chases made with newly issued debit cards will be reimbursed for the addi- tional charges, bank officials said Friday. Butterfield Marketing Manager Rory Mann said the issue affected Butter- field debit MasterCard cus- tomers who made Cayman Islands dollar purchases at “a few” local businesses. The issue had not occurred with customers who were still using the old Visa debit cards, but those cards are all due to expire within the next few months. The old Visa cards will begin expiring as early as Sept. 4, as long as the new bank cards have been acti- vated. All Visa debit cards will expire by the end of October. The problem arose with recent debit card purchases that were settled up in U.S. dollar amounts, resulting in foreign exchange fees being charged to the transaction, Mr. Mann said. Local busi- nesses using point-of-sale terminals that were issued by banks other than But- terfield levied the fees in- advertently, he said. Mr. Mann said Butterfield was working with the other local banks to resolve the for- eign exchange fee situation “as quickly as possible.” “Customers who have been impacted will receive refunds of any foreign ex- change fees or surcharges applied to local transactions that have settled in U.S. dol- lars,” he said. Customers were asked to call 345-815-7527 to claim back those added fees. The bank will require the orig- inal merchant receipts for the CI dollar purchase as well as the customer’s ac- count number. In an interview with the Cayman Compass last week, Mr. Mann indicated that additional staff had been brought in to field calls from customers during the change- over from Visa debit cards to MasterCard debit cards. The switch to Master- Card is being made to fa- cilitate the adoption of “chip and PIN” technology for debit cards. The chip and PIN cards are consid- ered to be a more secure technology, assisting in the prevention of credit and debit card number “skim- ming” by thieves, who often scan the stolen card num- bers onto other devices and empty the unsuspecting vic- tim’s bank account. Local prosecutors said last month that the Cayman Islands is being targeted by foreign criminals who come to the islands as tourists, but who intend to defraud the financial system via these bank card scams. “This island has been tar- geted specifically,” Crown Counsel Toyin Salako said. “These people are specifically coming to the island to do that. They’re not coming here on holiday.” Ms. Salako was speaking during the sentencing hearing for two Canadian na- tionals, Adam Mokdad and Hakim Benamara, who have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud retail banks in the islands by using “cloned” credit cards to attempt to withdraw cash. In this case, the most re- cent of several similar in- stances since 2013, the two men tried to withdraw cash from ATMs on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. The suspicious cards, which turned out to be gift cards with stolen credit card information placed on them, were retained by the bank’s teller machines. Police found the two men at a local hotel where a quantity of Star- bucks gift cards and a credit card reader were recovered. “This island specifically is quite vulnerable … because the ATM machines are not updated,” Ms. Salako said. Last year, Butterfield Bank became the first local retail bank in Cayman to convert its cash cards to a chip and PIN system. Bank officials said an em- bedded microchip in the new cards, used together with a security code, will make the withdrawals more secure by validating both the card and the cardholder electronically. The system would also pre- vent the use of gift cards, which would not be recog- nized as the user’s. The old Visa cards will begin expiring as early as Sept. 4, as long as the new bank cards have been activated. All Visa debit cards will expire by the end of October. Butterfield MasterCard users hit with foreign transaction fees on local purchases will be reimbursed for the additional charges. - PHOTO: MATT LAMERSDISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days George Town MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 YEARS AGO: Ethel Cook-Bodden returns from an action-packed trip In the Aug. 24, 1966 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, George Town correspondent Frances Bodden wrote: “Arriving passengers from Jamaica on the 18th were Mr. and Mrs. Ellery Merren and daughter Pau- line, who have all been under medical care. We wish for them continued improvement. Also Mr. George (Bing) Thompson, from Trinidad, where he has been with BWIA. He will be returning shortly after a few days leave. “Quatro Hatch of the Beach Club Colony has gone on a fortnight’s hol- iday to Miami. He was accompanied by his two friends Jeff Senn and Billy Raven who have been vis- iting here for the past two weeks. “Mrs. Ethel Cook- Bodden arrived on the 14th after being away from the island for the past 11 weeks. She had a won- derful time and is feeling quite well again. She first went to England, thence to Barcelona and Montserrat, Spain, for eight days, then returned to London and districts where she visited the Lamings, the Streat- fields and the Greenalls, then down to Devon with her sister Mrs. Viant for four weeks. Then to Som- erset [where she] visited her niece and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Tregutta. Then to Montreal, Canada, to visit her son Mr. Ralph Lott. Owing to the plane strike she had to take the Greyhound bus and ride two days and two nights to get to Miami. “We are happy to see Mr. Bennie Ross back and feeling quite well again; his sons Augustus and Timmy returned home after an en- joyable stay in Miami. “Mrs. Pat Quin (Brenda) left on the 18th for a fort- night to Jamaica to visit her aged mother. “Miss Maxine Ebanks left for a two week holiday in Jamaica. “Miss Judy Ann McLaughlin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Audry McLaughlin, was united in marriage to Mr. James Watler at the Church of God Chapel on the 18th, with Rev. Holm officiating. “Mrs. Crosby Walton and six children Barton, Benton, Heather, Eldon, Fa- bion and Kay (a cousin) left for Miami on the 20th en route to Freeport, Ba- hamas, where Mr. Walton is working at the Bahama Ce- ment Company factory, and is doing quite well. “Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cranston and their baby son Dewey left for New Or- leans, Louisiana, to visit her brothers and relatives. They were accompanied by Mrs. Lizzie Warren, who has gone to visit relatives for a while. “Mrs. Brent Bush of South Sound and her sister Miss Joan Groves have gone on a visit to Miami. “We are happy to report that Paratrooper Allen B. Bush has recovered from injuries which occurred in an accident in Seattle, Washington, when the car he was in overturned. He and his friend were badly injured and had to be hos- pitalized. The driver es- caped without injuries.” Ex-inmate inspires youth at football camp ALMA CHOLLETTE achollette@pinnaclemedialtd.com To inspire Cayman’s youths to make better choices and take posi- tive steps in the upcoming school term, former Northward prison in- mate George Roper took the opportu- nity to address more than 50 youths at the FC International Football Camp last Wednesday at the George Town Annex Field. Mr. Roper, who was released last year after 23 years of incarceration, talked about his past potential and the influence of his flawed decisions. He also talked about the difficulties of life in and after prison. Mr. Roper said in his address, “I chose to be a criminal when I should’ve chosen to be a career- minded person. I should’ve chosen to be a doctor or a lawyer, or a po- liceman or an auto mechanic. Some- thing. A plumber. But I chose the wrong people, and the result is I have ruined my life.” Mr. Roper talked frankly about life in jail. “They say prison is a hotel,” he said, “but it is a lie. It’s a hell … prison is all about taking your freedom.” Mr. Roper, who has witnessed students graduate from high school and end up at Northward, encour- aged students to remain in school and learn as much as they could to make their parents proud. “Go to college and get that degree,” said Mr. Roper, “and come home and get a job and see what you deserve.” Lavinia Doctor, who attends the camp for her love of foot- ball, thought Mr. Roper’s talk was “very inspirational, and a lot of kids should really look to him as what not to do,” she said. Ms. Doctor, 15, who is an aspiring oncologist/obstetrician, said that Mr. Roper has set a good example for young people. Another person to find Mr. Roper inspiring was 13-year-old Jason Kerr. Currently visiting the island for the summer, Mr. Kerr, a student of Wolmer’s Boys School in Jamaica, decided to join the camp and found Mr. Roper to be very encouraging. “In life, you have to make deci- sions, and the decisions you make, it tells on who you become in the fu- ture,” he said. “I have an interest in piloting and law as a career, and I’m not sure just yet what I want to be,” said Mr. Kerr. “But I have to have a focused mind and do the right thing for what I want in life.” Mr. Roper said, “it’s always a pleasure when I get the opportu- nity to talk to young people to let them understand the mistakes I have made and where I am coming from.” Wednesday’s speech was one of many he has given over the years, in- cluding while he was an inmate. “It’s all in the effort so they don’t have to make another mistake or make the mistakes I have made,” added Mr. Roper. “If I can do that so that they can understand the down- falls, the pitfalls of prison and what it is to be a criminal and commit crimes, that is why I am out here – just to raise that awareness. “I know a lot of ex-prisoners wouldn’t do it because they wouldn’t put themselves out there like that. But we have the future of Cayman at stake and we cannot have the en- tire future of Cayman locked up in a prison,” Mr. Roper said. Acting Commissioner of Police Anthony Ennis, who was invited to attend Mr. Roper’s talk, said “it was riveting, to say the least.” He said that people coming out of prison and sharing their experi- ences with the community serve as a positive contribution, as they en- courage young people to take their choices seriously. “We need more people like Mr. Roper,” said Mr. Ennis. Since 1994, FC International has hosted football camps annually, and featured different speakers to ad- dress the young footballers. “Most of the speakers that come out carry a sentimental value, not only to the sport, but the Cayman Is- lands,” said Kennedy Ebanks, presi- dent of FC International. In addition to Mr. Roper, other speakers included Renard Moxam, a former player on Cayman’s na- tional football team; Cayman Is- lands Football Association President Lee Ramoon; Chamber of Com- merce chief executive officer Wil Pineau; and the acting commissioner of police. “To have someone who had that experience and had that testimony to speak with the young people, you couldn’t ask for a better person, [and] he should be applauded for speaking to the young people the way he did,” said Mr. Ennis. “And I just commend him for that.” Controlling the ball, George Roper shows FC International youth his footwork. George Roper, hoisting the ball, poses with footballers at FC International’s football camp at the Annex Field. - PHOTOS: ALMA CHOLLETTE “Go to college and get that degree, and come home and get a job and see what you deserve.” GEORGE ROPER, former Northward prison inmate7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2016 JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Allen Hank Bodden stands on the threshold of his home – a ram- shackle patchwork of timber and tin, mounted on cinder blocks. He built it himself from pieces of plywood he collected on beaches across Grand Cayman after Hurricane Ivan. A generator provides intermittent power and a large plastic cistern en- sures a semi-reliable supply of rain- water. Hurricane straps secured by an anchor rod help keep the roof se- cure in case of a storm. A sign warns “beware of the dog,” though the threat is under- mined by the sight of a playful mutt skipping contentedly on a long, loose chain among scattered furni- ture and appliances. “We were paying rent and I couldn’t afford it any longer so I built my own place,” says 62-year- old Mr. Bodden, who lives here with his wife. “I built it myself with no help. It took a long time, maybe two months.” Scrapped together from collected and donated materials, Mr. Bodden’s home is a remarkable feat of re- sourcefulness and MacGyver-esque ingenuity. It is not unique in this part of George Town. Hundreds of self-made homes, some without a power or water con- nection, have sprung up over the years on the winding side streets that feed off Eastern Avenue. Many were built before the ad- vent of modern planning legisla- tion in the Cayman Islands, others have been quietly added as exten- sions to existing properties forming sprawling family homesteads. Matthew Leslie, who grew up on these side streets, estimates there are around 2,000 people in the Cayman Islands living in unfit, potentially unsafe housing, many of them in clusters around the Rock Hole, Windsor Park and Swamp areas of George Town. “This is our answer to poverty in Cayman,” he says. “People live here for years and don’t even know this side of Cayman exists.” Mr. Leslie, manager of the Cayman Islands Brewery, has, through his large social network, emerged as a community first responder in emer- gency situations. When a fire ripped through three homes in Cruz Lane earlier this month following an al- leged arson attack, he coordinated community donations and found temporary accommodation for sev- eral people left homeless. He did the same last year for a much larger family who saw their adjoining timber homes in Windsor Park burn to the ground in a matter of minutes. “What worries me is that next time we could be talking about a fa- tality,” he says. “We have to look at these houses and these tenement yards a lot more closely and see what we can do. If someone falls asleep and leaves a cigarette burning, that’s a whole block that could go up in flames.” Rock Hole In Cruz Lane, a charred and ragged curtain still hangs from the window frame of a solitary wall, still standing amid the wreckage of the fire. Next door Linford Webb, 55, is making some repairs to his own home, also damaged in the blaze. “We were about 20 when we built these houses,” he says, as he surveys the rubble where his brother Vann Webb and members of his extended family lived until the fire. “We were among the first to build in this area. I still feel safe here. This house has been around a long time.” Edlin Moore, an electrical con- tractor and political field coordinator, who has lived in the area for decades, says many of the homes were built in an era of lax planning enforcement or had been discreetly developed as ad- ditions to sturdier properties. Those seeking to assist tread a dif- ficult balance. Concern over the state of some of the housing is tempered by recognition that many people have nowhere else to go. “My personal opinion is that government should start to take a serious look at some of these homes,” said Mr. Moore. “You have to take into account that a lot of those people that live in these housing don’t have the means and ways to refurbish. It would have to be the government that takes that initiative and makes sure these homes are safe.” The homes here are varied. Some are sturdy and neat, flower baskets hanging in the awnings of A-frame roofs. Others seem vulnerable and temporary, patched up with whatever materials happen to be available. “This is a forgotten part of George Town,” says Sophia Bush as she walks a well-worn path between breadfruit trees and pink-flowered coral vines to the blackened, patched up home she shares with her 21-year-old son. Her younger children are scat- tered in safer accommodations with godparents and family members. There’s been no power supply to the building since the neighboring property, which she inherited from her parents, burned to the ground in 2013. The structure was finally de- molished last year when Canadian entrepreneur Tim Best, who is at- tempting to bring an Ice Palace de- velopment to the capital, helped as- semble a volunteer crew to bring it down. Ms. Bush has salvaged some fur- niture from the wreckage in Cruz Lane to continue the running repairs to her own fire-damaged property. “I don’t need anyone to build me a mansion, but I’d really like some help to get this place fixed up and the power back on,” she said. “We can fix these places up ourselves if we have the materials.” Amid the struggles, the area bus- tles with life. The ringing bells of ap- proaching bikes chime in the narrow lanes, people relax on outdoor sofas. Sometimes at night, Sophia’s son entertains his friends by pulling wheelies in the old and rusted wheel- chair that used to belong to her father. “I like this neighborhood. It’s rough, it’s tough, but I lived here all my life. I don’t know any- where else,” she says. An advocate for her community, Ms. Bush says she has asked, without success, for new street lighting and a community officer to deter a handful of drug dealers and addicts that give the area a bad name. “We’ve got it hard here,” she says, “Sometimes I feel like giving up but I know there are people far worse off than me.” Dog City On Watlers Drive, another winding tributary to Eastern Avenue, known locally as Dog City, a network of brightly painted plywood forms the façade of a maze of homes under rusted zinc roofs. Power lines snake across cramped alleys to provide a jerry- rigged electricity supply to a row of cabin-style homes. A woman rents rooms, lights in- cluded, for $300 a month. She remembers swimming to safety through these alleyways as the storm surge swept through Dog City during Hurricane Ivan. Random boats deposited by the storm are still scattered amid banana and mango trees around the neighborhood. In one yard, multiple rooms feed off a timber corridor that provides shade from the sun. If one room catches fire, she ac- knowledges, all of them would likely burn. She exhales deeply. “Boy that would be a pretty big disaster.” Tina Choy, a fire prevention officer with the Cayman islands Fire and Rescue Service, says a key concern is the lack of smoke alarms and fire ex- tinguishers in many homes. “Cayman does have a number of wooden structures throughout the three islands. Working smoke detec- tors and serviced fire extinguishers are key and the first step in the right direction toward fire safety in the home,” she said in response to ques- tions from the Compass. Social Concerns Concerns run beyond the obvious fire risk. Michael Myles, government’s at- risk youth officer, said such build- ings are spread across the island, from Hutland in North Side to East End and West Bay. “Many of the children and their families I work with, live in sub- standard housing,” he said. “An- other issue arising out of this type of housing is that children are be- coming sexualized faster. They are often in the same room with their parents while they engage in sex. A lot of this behavior is played out in our schools, oftentimes towards their peers.” Government allocated just over $550,000 in the current 18-month budget for “minor housing repairs and other assistance,” and also pro- vides rental assistance through the Needs Assessment Unit. The primary mandate of the Na- tional Housing Development Trust, which built 94 homes between 2010 and 2013 is home ownership, though it occasionally provides tem- porary accommodation in its units for displaced families. Julio Ramos, general manager of the Trust, said, “We are mindful that not everyone would qualify for affordable housing as there are in- dividuals that do not earn enough to qualify to purchase a house and there are those that are affected by social issues … Social housing has been and continues to be an issue in Cayman that needs to be addressed at a government level.” For Mr. Leslie, the issue of unfit and unsafe housing seems to only register a blip on the public and political radar in the aftermath of a catastrophe like the fires in Cruz Lane or Windsor Park. He believes a more concerted and sustained effort is needed. “Right now the only time anyone gets assistance is after there is a disaster. We need to establish a fund and clear it up – repair the homes that can be repaired, and move those that can’t. Cayma- nians don’t need to be rich, but they deserve to be comfortable and to live somewhere that is safe.” “You have to take into account that a lot of those people that live in these housing don’t have the means and ways to refurbish. It would have to be the government that takes that initiative and makes sure these homes are safe.” EDLIN MOORE Cayman’s hidden housing dilemma Sophia Bush stands in front of her fire-blackened home in central George Town. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER8 LOCAL NEWS MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS Screen Printing Digital Printing Athletic Printing Sublimation Printing Embroidery Tee Shirts & Sports Shirts ● Quality ● Service ● Price Screenprint & Embroidery Tel: 949-3852 171 Eastern Ave. E-mail: LNG@candw.ky www.aceprint.ky WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GIVE TELEPHONE QUOTES on the Islands which will feed into and inform fu- ture strategic planning and the direction of the po- licing service.” Mr. Byrne was selected from a final “short-list” of three candidates, which also included a British and an American candidate, the Cayman Compass has learned. There were no Cay- manian applicants who made the final short-list, after Cayman’s two most senior ranking officers, Deputy Commissioner An- thony Ennis and Chief Su- perintendent Kurt Walton, said they hadn’t applied for the job. Mr. Ennis will lead the RCIPS as acting commissioner until Mr. Byrne arrives. Mr. Byrne is the first non-U.K. and non-Cayma- nian police commissioner to serve the islands in re- cent times. The vast majority of Cayman’s former police commissioners have hailed from the U.K. He replaces former Commissioner David Baines. Mr. Baines left the force May 31 after the territory’s gov- ernor decided a barrage of public criticism and “defam- atory comments” against Mr. Baines had made his posi- tion “untenable.” In Ireland, Mr. Byrne fig- ured prominently in a com- mission investigation into a particular division of the na- tional police force, An Garda Siochana, where he served. The investigation resulted in a 363-page report by re- tired Irish high court judge Kevin O’Higgins who con- cluded the following about Mr. Byrne’s participation in the review: “Assistant Commissioner Byrne gave evidence to the commission in a forth- right, honest and helpful manner. He is a man of in- tegrity and a highly compe- tent member of An Garda Siochana, clearly committed to the good of the force. The commission is absolutely satisfied that the public can repose trust in him in the ex- ercise of his duties.” 36-year Irish police veteran tapped to head up RCIPS Cayman’s Anti-Corruption Commission Norman BoddenTim Ridley Sophia HarrisRichard Coles Kadi Pentney-Merren after former Police Commissioner David Baines, who departed the islands in May. “The most important thing is … to ensure we do our best to make the new commission a body that Caymanians and others can have confidence in,” Mr. Coles said during a telephone interview Friday. “[In past years] the confidence just wasn’t there, for one reason or another. “If the public [doesn’t] have confidence in these kinds of bodies, they lose effectiveness.” Cayman Islands lawmakers approved changes to the commis- sion’s make-up in June, following previous parliamentary motions that asked for the removal of re- quirements that the police com- missioner, auditor general and complaints commissioner serve on the appointed body. Under the new law, the governor is respon- sible for the appointment of all five members of the commission, rather than just two appointees from the private sector. Mr. Coles, who left the at- torney general’s post in 1998, said he hoped the new group of “independent private citizens” would help to restore some of the lost confidence. He said the new commission aimed to have its first meeting during the second or third week of September. Other new commission mem- bers were named as former Cayman Islands Monetary Au- thority Chairman Tim Ridley, noted local immigration attorney Sophia Harris and accountant and recent Young Caymanian Leadership Award recipient Kadi Pentney-Merren. Local businessman Norman Bodden, the only currently ap- pointed commission member, was given an extended two-year term as well. Mr. Coles and Mr. Ridley were appointed to two-year terms. Ms. Merren and Ms. Harris were appointed to three-year terms. Mr. Ridley, in particular, has been an outspoken advocate for a number of years in seeking the removal of the police commis- sioner as head of the commis- sion. He declined to comment publicly about the new commis- sion membership on Friday. Mr. Ridley has raised issues regarding the practical operation of the commission, including the fact that three high-ranking civil servants sat on the anti-corrup- tion board, almost since the es- tablishment of the Anti-Corrup- tion Law. Speaking at a public event in September 2011, Mr. Ridley said he did not intend to criti- cize then-Commissioner Baines or anyone else on the Anti-Cor- ruption Commission. However, he warned about the dual roles that the members of the anti-corrup- tion board had and noted that as part of good governance moving forward, the Anti-Corruption Law “may have to be revisited.” Mr. Baines later conceded that there is a question over whether the commission is appropriately constituted, and that the dual roles were a challenge. There have also been is- sues around the staffing of the Anti-Corruption Commis- sion. The commission members themselves, who are volunteer appointees, do not investigate acts of crime. In the early days, the commission seconded Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officers for its various investi- gations. Later on, two RCIPS of- ficers were assigned full-time to do anti-corruption work. Reports from the commission in 2014 and 2015 indicated those two officers had to plow through dozens of cases, many of them often of a complex and detailed nature. The meeting minutes from one commission meeting in mid-2014 indicated there were 23 ongoing investigations being conducted by just two officers. Just two of those cases had been completed and turned over to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a ruling on charges. Also, the commission it- self failed to meet for more than a year during the same period because of a lack of appointed members. New Anti-Corruption Commission ‘must regain public trust’ “I will visit all of the Islands to meet with community leaders, community groups and business leaders to obtain a firsthand account of policing requirements.” DEREK BYRNE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “The most important thing is … to ensure we do our best to make the new commission a body that Caymanians and others can have confidence in.” RICHARD COLES, chairman, Anti-Corruption Commission CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 22, 2016 London mayor calls for Corbyn ouster Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote a blistering article in The Observer newspaper on Sunday, attacking Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. Khan says Labour is suffering under Corbyn and announced he was backing lawmaker Owen Smith in the leadership contest called after the failed Brexit vote. FAST TRACK YOUR CAREER!! Train locally to compete globally! 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Foundations in Accountancy: Intermediate Certificate in Financial & Management Accounting Diploma in Accounting & Business Advanced Diploma in Accounting & Business ACCA Qualification Accounting Certifications – from ACCA (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants – over 100 years strong ) Innovative Management & Professional Training OFFICE TEL FAX E-MAIL WEBSITE Unit 201 Alissta Towers 943-IMPT (4678) 943-4679 Info_impt@candw.ky www.impttraining.com ICSA® Qualifications (from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators) Classes begin the week of Aug. 29th. Contact us for further details. Starting week of Sept. 5th NEED CASH? COME! CAYMAN PRECIOUS METALS Located at MONEYGRAM PLAZA at 196 Shedden Road 927-8565 - Mon. thru Fri. 9 to 6pm - Sat 10-4pm WE BUY AND PAWN WE HAVE ALL YOU NEED! for Officials: 30 killed, 94 hurt in wedding attack in Turkey ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – A bomb attack targeting an outdoor wedding party in southeastern Turkey killed at least 30 people and wounded 94 others, authori- ties said Sunday. Deputy Prime Min- ister Mehmet Simsek said the “barbaric” attack in the city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria, on Sat- urday appeared to be a sui- cide bombing. Other officials said it could have been the carried out by either Kurdish militants or Islamic State group extremists. Photos taken after the explosion showed several bodies covered with white sheets as a crowd gath- ered nearby. The Gaziantep governor’s office early Sunday raised the death toll from 22 to 30. It said the number of wounded remained at 94. Turkey has been rocked by a wave of attacks in the past year that have either been claimed by Kurdish mili- tants linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party – known by its acronym PKK – or were blamed on ISIS. In June, suspected ISIS mil- itants attacked Istanbul’s main airport with guns and bombs, killing 44 people. The attack comes as the country is still reeling from last month’s failed coup at- tempt, which the government has blamed on U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers. Earlier this week, a string of bombings blamed on the PKK that targeted police and soldiers killed at least a dozen people. A fragile, 2 ½ year-long peace pro- cess between the PKK and the government collapsed last year, leading to a re- sumption of the three-de- cade-long conflict. Simsek, interviewed on NTV television, said, “This was a barbaric attack. It ap- pears to be a suicide attack. All terror groups, the PKK, Daesh, the (Gulen movement) are targeting Turkey. But God willing, we will overcome.” Daesh is an Arabic name for the ISIS group. Simsek later traveled to Gaziantep along with the country’s health minister to visit the wounded and in- spect the site of the attack. “This is a massacre of un- precedented cruelty and bar- barism,” he told reporters in Gaziantep. “We … are united against all terror organiza- tions. They will not yield.” He told reporters it was too soon to say which organi- zation was behind the attack. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim condemned the bombing that turned “a wedding party into a place of mourning” and vowed to prevail over the “dev- ilish” attacks. “No matter what this treacherous terror organization is called, we as the people, the state, and the government will pursue our determined struggle against it,” he said. A brief statement from the Gaziantep governor’s office said the bomb attack on the wedding in the Sahinbey dis- trict occurred at 10:50 p.m. Mehmet Tascioglu, a local journalist, told NTV televi- sion, that the huge explosion could be heard in many parts of the city. Police sealed off the site of the explosion and forensic teams moved in. Hundreds of residents gathered near the site chanting “Allah is great” as well as slogans de- nouncing attacks. People gather after an explosion at a wedding in Gaziantep, southeastern Turkey, early Sunday. – PHOTO: EYYUP BURUN/DHA VIA AP SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS MADE AGAINST CALIFORNIA FIRE PHELAN, Calif. (AP) – More people returned to their homes Friday as firefighters made significant progress against a huge wildfire burning in Southern Cal- ifornia’s San Bernardino National Forest, but that was tempered by the an- nouncement that at least 96 homes and 213 outbuild- ings were destroyed. Thousands of residents chased from their moun- tain and desert homes were slowly beginning to take stock of their losses as the preliminary damage assess- ment was released for the blaze that erupted Tuesday in drought-parched canyons 60 miles east of Los Angeles. Firefighters initially struggled to get the tow- ering flames under control but later made dramatic progress in corralling the fire that scorched nearly 58 square miles and was 40 percent contained. Plans were under way to demo- bilize some of the nearly 1,600 firefighters. “It’s looking very good, we took the offen- sive last night into today,” fire spokesman Brad Pitassi said. A firetruck passes scorched cars and trailers burned by the Blue Cut fire in Phelan, Calif., on Friday. – PHOTO: AP PHOTO/NOAH BERGERNext >