ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY JUNE 27, 2017 High of 90 Low of 76 Slight with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 CRIMINAL JUSTICE: EXAMINING THE BROKEN LINKS WORLD | PAGE 8 15 STILL MISSING AFTER TOURIST BOAT SINKS IN COLOMBIA 185309-Ad-Strip-SandCastles.indd 16/8/17 3:27 PM New governor chosen for Cayman Islands Diplomat Choudhury was targeted in ‘04 terror attack BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A career diplomat who was not born in the United Kingdom has been chosen as Cay- man’s new governor. Anwar Choudhury, 58, will not take up the post until March 2018, when Governor Helen Kilpatrick’s term in office expires. Ms. Kilpatrick’s contract, set to end in September 2017 initially, was extended until March 2018 to accommodate Mr. Choud- hury’s appointment. Mr. Choudhury has served as the U.K.’s ambassador to Peru since 2013. According to biographical details avail- able online, Mr. Choudhury was born in East Pakistan in June 1959 (before it became Ban- gladesh). His nationality is British and he has lived in Britain since he was a child. He is married to Momina Choud- hury and has three children, one from a COURT: WEBB MAY RELOCATE, TRAVEL WITHIN US BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Convicted racketeer Jeffrey Webb will be allowed to travel within the continental United States during the period before his sentencing in connection with the ongoing FIFA bribery scandal, a U.S. district court judge ruled last week. The court agreed June 22 to delay Webb’s sentencing on seven counts in the FIFA indict- ment, to which Webb pleaded guilty in No- vember 2015 until January 2018. His air travel during the period will have to be approved by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. He will also be allowed to travel to rel- atives’ homes within the state of Georgia during the period, with the permission of fed- eral authorities. Webb’s previous travel re- strictions required him to stay in a 50-mile ra- dius from his current home. Webb’s primary residence in Loganville, Georgia will be sold, with proceeds from the sale going to the U.S. federal government. His attorneys have said he will be relocating to another home in the state. A U.S. federal court in Brooklyn also agreed Thursday to delay Webb’s sentencing a further six months, pushing it back until Jan. 24, 2018. Webb pleaded guilty to seven counts of criminal conduct in relation to what prosecu- tors said was a decades-long bribery racket. Webb pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud conspiracy and three counts of money laundering conspiracy. The scheme described by U.S. prosecutors alleged Webb, and others at FIFA – world foot- ball’s governing body – solicited bribes from sports marketing companies in exchange for directing lucrative broadcasting and com- mercial rights deals for various football tour- naments to the bribe-payers. Dozens of U.S. banks were used to make those alleged bribe payments to Webb and others, prosecutors said. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the racketeering charge alone. Homes ‘moved’ for road development New houses built just yards away for displaced families JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two families will move into newly built homes in George Town in the next few weeks, clearing the way for the ex- pansion of the Linford Pierson Highway to continue. Their original homes, situ- ated in the path of the planned road, will be demolished, as soon as the new houses are cleared for occupancy. Project manager Mark Scot- land said the government could have taken the land through compulsory acquisition under the Roads Law. But he said the families involved had not wanted to leave the area and government was able to acquire a piece of adjacent land and rebuild their homes just yards away. He said, “They are basically getting exactly the same home, same size, same number of rooms. It’s a newer building obviously, but it is really just a replacement for what they have lost.” He said it was a good deal for the families because they would be getting newer buildings in re- turn for the loss of their homes. “It was quite reasonable on the part of the government. They don’t like to take down houses that people are living in, so this was a good compromise with those home owners.” He said the buildings were almost complete and the fami- lies would move in within the next few weeks once certificates of occupancy were issued. At that point the two old houses will be knocked down and phase one of the road expansion com- pleted, up to Agnes Way. Sherman Myles, one of the homeowners, said his family had lived in the duplex on the edge of the highway for more than 20 years. Anwar Choudhury Government acquired land adjacent to the Linford Pierson Highway to build new homes for displaced families. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 5 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 5 » Jeffrey Webb2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY JUNE 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 - TUESDAY - 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. *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) CARS 3 3D (G) 1:15 I 3:55 2D I 6:30 2D I 9:05 THE MUMMY 3D (PG13) 1:10 2D VIP I 4:25 I 5:40 2D I 10:00 2D VIP TRANSFORMERS: LAST KNIGHT 3D (PG13) 1:30 2D I 3:40 2D VIP I 5:20 6:50 2D VIP I 8:30 2D I 9:15 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (PG13) 1:00 I 4:00 I 7:00 I 9:50 WONDER WOMAN 3D (PG13) 12:50 I 2:20 2D I 7:20 LESF GYM AND SAUNA IS FOR YOU! INFOLIFEEXT@GMAIL.COM Walk, run or sit, but workout! Firearms recovered in South Sound Police described an “insa- tiable appetite for firearms” among Cayman Islands gang mem- bers after officers confiscated two weapons in South Sound early Sunday. Two Bodden Town men, ages 20 and 27, were arrested in the oper- ation on suspicion of possession of an unlicensed firearm. They are currently in Royal Cayman Islands Police Service custody. In addition to recovering a small vessel, police seized a 9 mm handgun and a .45 caliber handgun, both semiautomatic weapons, and six rounds of ammunition. The discovery follows a no- table group of court convictions for firearm possession on Friday. “Despite the convictions and heavy sentences handed down against four individuals just last Friday, with a total of 37 years in custodial time levied by the court, young men continue to be involved in bringing firearms to our islands,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton said. “There is an insatiable appe- tite for firearms in Cayman among certain individuals immersed in a gang culture, and we are constantly faced with the threat this poses for public safety. “As the court said last Friday, we need anyone with information about the movement of firearms to come forward and tell us what they know, even anonymously.” A case that has been pending for nearly a de- cade was extended again on Monday. Champion House Ltd. pleaded guilty in 2010 for failing with rea- sonable cause to con- tribute to a pension plan for an employee, and the charges covered a period spanning January 1999 to August 2008. The case was first brought to the court system in 2008. Champion House commenced payments according to an agreement with the court and plain- tiffs, but landed back in court after the pension plan administrator indicated that no payments had been made since May of 2014. Both sides agreed to a consent adjournment on Monday, and will be back in court on Aug. 8 for a mention date. The two sides also agreed to a Sept. 25 court date for final dis- posal of the case. CHAMPION HOUSE CASE DELAYED AGAIN HAVANA (AP) – The U.S. and Cuba are still cooperating to intercept drug smug- glers even through the Trump adminis- tration has halted high-level meetings on stopping the flow of narcotics through the Caribbean, a top Cuban anti-drug of- ficial said Thursday. The amount of drugs seized by Cuban authorities has tripled this year over the same period in 2016, to 1.8 tons of narcotics, said Antonio Israel Ibarra, the head of Cuba’s National Commis- sion on Drugs. That number is tiny compared to drug seizures in neighboring countries, but it represents a surge due largely to U.S.-Cuban cooperation on halting ship- ments of marijuana through or near Cuban territorial waters, Ibarra said. Cuba maintains a pervasive state-se- curity apparatus that has managed to keep levels of drug smuggling and se- rious crime to some of the lowest in Latin American and the Caribbean. U.S. officials say day-to-day cooperation on halting U.S.-bound human trafficking and narcotics has improved significantly since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations in 2015, with the two nations’ coast guards talking directly to each other and cooperating in real time on a regular basis. High-level meetings on law-enforce- ment cooperation have halted, however, since President Donald Trump took office this year. On June 16, Trump announced a new U.S. policy on Cuba that would prohibit most new Americans transac- tions with Cuban military-linked busi- nesses and restrict U.S. travel to Cuba. Ibarra said Cuba is still willing to continue high-level cooperation. “We hope that for the sake of both countries they’re not going to give back the effective cooperation that Cuba can provide them,” he said. “They’re certainly the ones that benefit most.” Cuba and the U.S. signed an anti-drug cooperation agreement last July and have held four meetings to strengthen cooperation since then, Ibarra said. The meeting meant to happen in the first half of 2017 in Washington was canceled by the Trump administration, he said. US, Cuba still cooperating on stopping drug smugglers Cuba’s Secretary of the National Drug Commission Antonio Israel Ibarra talks to the press in Havana, Cuba. – PHOTO: AP MEXICO CITY (AP) – Hur- ricane Dora strengthened off Mexico’s Pacific coast on Monday, but posed little threat to land as it spun out into the ocean. The hurricane’s max- imum sustained winds early Monday were near 85 mph (140 kph) with some strengthening likely before weakening is expected to begin Tuesday. The hurricane was cen- tered about 175 miles south- west of Manzanillo, Mexico, and was moving west- northwest near 13 mph. The U.S. National Hur- ricane Center says Do- ra’s forecast track shows its center staying offshore of Mexico’s southwestern coast. But swells from the storm are affecting parts of Mexico’s coast and are ex- pected to cause life-threat- ening surf and rip cur- rent conditions. Western Mexican states of Guerrero and Michoacan were expected to receive 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centime- ters) of rain. HURRICANE DORA STRENGTHENS OFF MEXICAN COAST VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis will preside over a reconciliation ceremony be- tween Colombian victims and former guerrillas during a September visit aimed at con- solidating the peace process to end Latin America’s lon- gest-running armed conflict. Francis will also pay homage to the patron saint of slaves, the 16th cen- tury Jesuit priest St. Peter Claver, when he travels to the former slave-trading hub of Cartagena. The Vatican on Friday re- leased details of Francis’ Sept. 6-11 trip, his fifth to Latin America and the first papal visit to Colombia since St. John Paul II’s pil- grimage in 1986. Highlights include a Mass in Bogota’s Simon Bolivar park that is expected to draw up to a million people. A day later, the pope is scheduled to preside over a prayer for na- tional reconciliation in Villav- icencio, a traditional strong- hold of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Earlier this week, FARC members began the final handover of individual weapons as part of the na- tion’s historic peace accord, which was inked last year after an initial one was re- jected by Colombians in a referendum. Francis had said he would only come to Colombia once a peace agreement was sealed. He gave a strong push to Colombian negotia- tors when he visited Cuba in 2015, telling them they did not have the right to abandon peace efforts. In addition to the main peace and reconciliation thrust of the trip, Francis is likely to use his time in Co- lombia to press issues close to his heart. Officials say he is likely to touch on drug trafficking and Colombia’s cocaine trade, the environ- ment given Colombia’s lo- cation in the Amazon rain- forest, as well as poverty and social inequality. Pope to encourage Colombian reconciliation CLARIFICATION A story that appeared in Monday’s Compass stated that law firm HSM Cham- bers had “urged [perma- nent residence] applicants to continue pressing cases for damages if they felt they had suffered material conse- quences from the delays.” In fact, HSM wrote to its clients on June 15 the following: “In our opinion, any en- titlement to compensation and a finding that they have been treated unlawfully has already crystallised. We are accordingly pressing on with any requested chal- lenges unless and until we have clarity as to the timing of individual client’s rea- sonable requests being met, and that timing is accept- able to clients. The loss and damage occasioned by some of you has reached the point where it is unfair and un- reasonable for you to be ex- pected to simply waive your legal entitlements, and we will continue to support you as you deem appropriate.”3 LOCAL NEWS SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com A local man was denied bail on two charges of handling stolen goods in Summary Court Monday after allegedly being found in pos- session of 15 stolen laptops and 15 stolen watches. Jose Gonzalez Almonte, who ap- peared in Grand Court on June 23, was originally apprehended after a theft of three laptops from a resi- dential home. One of those laptops was located after a GPS search, and the police followed it to Almonte’s home and found several pieces of contraband secreted in the ceiling. Crown counsel Scott Wainwright said Monday that a search of the ceiling of Almonte’s home allegedly yielded 15 laptops, 15 watches and a flat-screen television. Wainwright said during Almonte’s bail hearing that evidence suggests that the suspect is a “professional handler of stolen goods.” Almonte, a Dominican native who is married to a Caymanian, was released on bail after his June 23 appearance in front of Justice Michael Wood. Magistrate Valdis Foldats was brought new evidence of Almon- te’s acts Monday and ordered the suspect held until his next court appearance on June 29. Almonte told investigators that he had bought one of the watches from an unknown male for $800, and Wainwright noted that the watch carries a retail value of $1,800. Authorities are still trying to ascertain the proper owners of many of the laptops and watches recovered in the search of Almonte’s home. CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 27, 2017 Everyone is welcome to join the party. 2 large swimming pools with beach lounge chairs Free Admission Open from 11:30 a.m. to 12 midnight Come celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday at Hemingway’s with DJ Matt spinning your favorite Canadian tunes. Fun for the whole family - Fireworks at 8:30 p m. . CC, Crown Royal, Caesars, Poutine, BBQ, Etc. Everyone is welcome to join the party. 2 large swimming pools with beach lounge chairs Everyone is welcome to join the party. 2 large swimming pools with beach lounge chairs Everyone is welcome to join the party. Everyone is welcome to join the party. Everyone is welcome to join the party. Celebrating Canada’s 150th Birthday SATURDAY, JULY 1st Canada Day In conjunction with the Canada Club Of Cayman Fun for the 406679.INDD 16/23/2017 4:14:39 PM Mother beat son with broom, broke arm CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman who beat her son with a broom and con- tinued hitting him after it had broken was given a sus- pended sentence on Friday. The boy’s injuries included a broken arm. The woman pleaded guilty to assault causing ac- tual bodily harm to the boy, 14, after a trial date was al- ready listed, Crown counsel Darlene Oko told Justice Michael Wood. Defense attorney Martha Rankine asked the judge not to record a conviction be- cause that could interfere with the woman’s employ- ment chances. The woman was currently employed, but at minimum wage; as the single mother of three chil- dren, she would want the op- portunity to obtain higher pay, the attorney explained. “Punishing the mother will punish the children,” she asserted. Ms. Rankine pointed out that the law permits parents to administer punishment. Justice Wood responded, “The law does not allow a parent to break a child’s arm.” He read the documents in the case, including an agreed basis of facts. He said the mother had assaulted the boy in the house they shared. She became angry when he was not obeying. She got a belt and struck him on the shoulder and back. Then she struck him with a broom, which broke due to the fe- rocity of the blows. She continued to hit him with the broken portion of the broom. When seen by medical personnel, the boy had blood on his face, welts on the upper part of his body, a cut under his nose and a fracture of a bone in his arm. “This went way beyond chastisement,” the judge told the defendant. He considered the use of two weapons and the sus- tained nature of the as- sault and said the cus- tody threshold had clearly been passed. The judge said he was taking into account her age, previous good character and the fact that her husband was deceased. If she had not pleaded guilty, the sentence would have been two years; with a discount for plea, the sen- tence he gave was 16 months, suspended for two years. Told that the mother and child were reconciled, Jus- tice Wood ordered her to continue her engagement with the Department of Chil- dren and Family Services and any parenting sessions deemed appropriate. He warned that any fur- ther offense in the next two years would bring her back to court and she would al- most certainly go to prison for that offense and this one. “I’m glad to see you and your son are back to- gether,” he told her. The Cayman Compass is not reporting the wom- an’s name because doing so would identify the boy. Man held after cache of stolen goods found Now serving you from 2 locations: Savannah and Seven Mile Beach The Court House in downtown George Town. Crown counsel Scott Wainwright said during Almonte’s bail hearing that evidence suggests that the suspect is a “professional handler of stolen goods.”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. TUESDAY JUNE 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS A fine-tuned machine requires that each component perform consistently and reliably. Even a high-performance Porsche sports car can break down if there is a flaw in the drivetrain, electrical system or fuel line. So, too, a single breakdown in any component of our criminal justice system – from policing to prosecution, from courts to corrections – threaten the integrity of the entire system. Unfortunately, recent cases point to a criminal justice system that is less Porsche and more Pinto in need of a mechanic. Here’s how our system should work: When a crime occurs in the Cayman Islands, citizens report it and assist police in the investigation. Police find and arrest the perpetrators, handing off a solid case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which determines efficiently if charges are warranted. If so, the defendant soon appears in court, where judges and juries weigh the evidence and the arguments, bringing the trial to a swift and just conclusion. If the verdict is guilty, and the sentence includes incar- ceration, the convicted person is remanded to prison to pay his debt to society and undertake rehabilitation, with the goal of achieving a smooth reentry into our commu- nity as a productive (and law-abiding) individual. Too often, here’s how Cayman’s system actually func- tions (or doesn’t): Eyewitnesses to, or even victims of, crime don’t step forward with information. In other words, they don’t coop- erate with the police. Police don’t make arrests or, when they do, sometimes make mistakes that create legal “loopholes” for defendants to escape trial and judgment. Prosecutors let major cases languish while pursuing other cases of seemingly minor importance. Outbound tourists with a single bullet found in their luggage might be an example. A backlogged court system, hampered by a shortage of judges and serious deficiencies in physical infrastruc- ture, often deals with years-old incidents. When a conviction does occur, the guilty person is dis- patched to a crowded and under-resourced prison facility. When offenders eventually return to society, they fre- quently become “reoffenders” and start the cycle anew. The problem is not that every part of our criminal justice system is broken, or any particular part misfires in every case – but that you can’t count on any part to function as it should. Stories that have appeared in recent editions of the Compass offer several examples: Last December, a police crackdown led to the seizure of two dozen illegal motorbikes. The concentrated effort has made our streets safer in the short term, but so far has not resulted in any convictions (or exonerations) in court. The drunk driving trial of senior immigration officer Garfield “Gary” Wong (himself a member of law enforce- ment), has again been adjourned. This alleged incident occurred three and a half years ago, in December 2013. A judge found a defendant – accused of indecent assault of a female – not guilty after learning that police officers had failed to advise the suspect of his right to an attorney without having to pay. One commonality unites our above observations – the components (police, prosecution, judiciary, prisons) are under the jurisdiction of the governor. Repairing and maintaining our criminal justice system is ultimately the responsibility of the governor’s office, not the elected Legislative Assembly. Cayman’s economic vitality is founded on a limited set of “natural resources”: sand, sun, sea, political sta- bility and personal safety. If any of those components are eroded, the societal consequences could be grave. Here’s a much-needed reality check: Even taking into account recent high-profile incidents, Cayman remains one of (if not the) safest country in the Caribbean. Compared to similarly sized cities in the U.K., U.S. or Canada, Cayman is as safe, or safer. Nevertheless, Gov. Helen Kilpatrick needs to hop in the driver’s seat and take firm control of the wheel. Criminal justice: Examining the broken links Over the last few years the sleeping Island of Grand Cayman has being waking up from a nightmare, sadly it has awoken to the realization that the nightmare is in fact real. The island has seen a steady increase in the number, and severity, of crimes committed. Once con- sidered paradise, locals and visitors were accustomed to a placid lifestyle. They’re now forced to be living in fear for their lives and property. As a Jamaican residing here, I too am frightened by the increase in criminal ac- tivities here and am very con- cerned about the role played by Jamaicans in these crimes. Words cannot explain how embarrassed I am to read the newspaper or watch the local news and see that Jamaicans are named as per- petrators of these crimes. The actions of a few de- spicable individuals are causing great pains for all of us who share this space. I’m not for one minute in- sinuating that Jamaicans commit all the crimes here. Neither am I saying that all Jamaicans residing here are criminals. I am trying to use this medium to appeal to the selfish few that are resolved to “earning” their bread by il- licit means, to desist from those activities. By way of their nefarious behaviors, they’re not only tarnishing the name of Ja- maica, but are destroying in- ternational relation between the Cayman Islands and Ja- maica. They’re making it dif- ficult for their compatriots working here, and they’re blighting the future of pro- spective Jamaicans who would love to work in the Cayman Islands. Jamaica already wears an ugly hat as it relates to crime and violence. Why should a few thoughtless individ- uals try to make it worse by giving the impression that all Jamaicans are criminals, or wherever Jamaicans go they misbehave? While there is no ques- tion that the vast majority of Jamaicans residing here are decent individuals, this handful of undesirables are set on making history — but for all the wrong rea- sons. In January 2017, one such criminal had the dis- tinction of becoming the first person to be fatally shot by the Royal Cayman Islands Police. That is one credit we can do without. Law-abiding Jamaicans have already suffered enough at the hands of our crim- inal compatriots — we’ve seen the implementation of a visa policy as a prerequisite for entry. Still, these despi- cable individuals have found their way through. To enter another country is a privilege, therefore the ones who are afforded such a privilege must act in a digni- fied and responsible manner, and with consideration for themselves and their fellow men. Let us take the oppor- tunity we’re given and make better ourselves, let’s con- tinue working to build this island rather than working to tear it down. Its time we take a stand, enough is enough. K. Tafari Response to ‘exotic pet’ story 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 find their own way” LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A thoughtless few are causing pain for us all Freedom of the press is the bedrock of democ- racy and must be jealously guarded at all expense. Simi- larly, the right to a fair trial is foremost and inextri- cably linked to liberty and the preservation of a demo- cratic society. A delicate balance must at all times be achieved be- tween these two very es- sential pillars, unless the framework of democracy will be decimated. The recent story by Mr. James Whittaker, titled “No charges yet in exotic pet in- vestigation” flirts very dan- gerously with offsetting this balance and potentially un- dermines the trust, confi- dence and impartiality one is entitled to expect from a responsible journalist. The title of the story is self-ev- ident, and requires no fur- ther examination. There appears a vast in- consistency and selectivity in the practice of naming sus- pects prior to charge. In this case Mr. Whit- taker has singled out one of the suspects and has found it fit to highlight the sus- pect’s association with a sitting member of the Leg- islative Assembly, who has no connection what- soever to the incident ex- cept family ties. To whom much is given, much is expected. The exces- sive and unabated coverage of this story leaves much to be desired in terms of re- sponsible journalism and one can only hope that greater restraint will in the future prevail and the temptation for sensational and scan- dalous journalism passion- ately resisted. Richard H. Barton Jr. Law-abiding Jamaicans have already suffered enough at the hands of our criminal compatriots — we’ve seen the implementation of a visa policy as a prerequisite for entry.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 27, 2017 “We didn’t want to move out of that area of George Town. Fortunately govern- ment was able to purchase some land close by and re- place everything,” said Mr. Myles. “It could have been a lot worse for us. They could have just said, ‘here’s a check, off you go,’ so we are quite happy with the deal.” Mr. Myles shares the du- plex, adjoining four and three bed homes, with his wife and two kids, his brother and mother. “We are glad we can stay in the area and that they didn’t uproot us and send us to East End or Bodden Town or somewhere.” Mr. Myles, a paramedic, said he is frequently caught in traffic returning from a night shift in North Side and was happy something was being done to ease conges- tion for commuters. Arlene Lopez, the owner of the other duplex that will be replaced said she had been informed the homes would have to be knocked down in 2015. She said the deal to rebuild the homes on land close by made sense and she was happy enough with the arrangement. Mr. Scotland said it had cost $1 million to acquire the land and build the new homes. A further $4 mil- lion was spent on land ac- quisitions along the route so far, according to a state- ment in the Legislative As- sembly by former Infrastruc- ture Minister Kurt Tibbetts in March this year. The total estimated con- struction cost of phase one of the highway expansion is $6.6 million. Out of this, $3.8 million has been spent and $2.8 million is estimated to complete the project. The second phase, which would see the entire road ex- panded to four lanes, has yet to be budgeted and approved. previous marriage. In the decade before taking the post as the Pe- ruvian ambassador, Mr. Choudhury served as the foreign office director of “diplomatic excel- lence” from 2012 to 2013 and director of “interna- tional institutions” from 2008 to 2011. Before that he was the British High Commis- sioner in Dhaka, Bangla- desh from 2004 to 2008. It was during that posting that Mr. Choud- hury was targeted by Is- lamist militants in con- nection with a grenade attack in Sylhet, a city to the north-east of the country’s capital. Three men were sen- tenced to death for the attack that killed a po- lice officer and two by- standers. Mr. Choud- hury was wounded in the 2004 blast that occurred just a short while after he became British High Commissioner. According to reports in The Guardian newspaper, the explosion occurred as Mr. Choudhury, who is Muslim, left a mosque at the end of prayers. At the time of his 2004 appointment in Bangla- desh, Mr. Choudhury was Britain’s first ethnic-mi- nority senior high com- missioner appointed to that position. Earlier in his career, he served as director of e-government for the U.K. Cabinet Office be- tween 2000-2004. He also has signifi- cant experience in the British military, having served in both the Royal Air Force and at the Min- istry of Defence. Honduran who overstayed work permit to be deported SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Leonidas Antolin Ruiz was sentenced to two months in prison and or- dered to be deported to his homeland of Honduras Monday after pleading guilty to overstaying and working without a work permit in a case that Magistrate Valdis Foldats said was “one of the more unusual immigra- tion cases I’ve seen come be- fore the court.” Ruiz, who had been in custody since May, said he has been coming to the Cayman Islands for de- cades, and Magistrate Fol- dats noted that he had sev- eral positive character references from people in the community. One of those people was a politician, said Magistrate Foldats, but he followed moments later by saying that Ruiz was “taking away jobs from people who are doing the right thing.” Ruiz, who was also charged with criminal tres- pass, had apparently been caught sleeping in his car on the property of Arch Au- tomotive. Magistrate Fol- dats noted that his time in Cayman has been hard and lauded him for pleading guilty expediently, but he said that Ruiz must be held accountable for his actions. “You’ve been illegal for a very long time,” Magis- trate Foldats said to Ruiz be- fore sentencing. Ruiz, 65 years old, was sentenced to two months in prison, but he would be credited with time served in custody over the last several weeks. Magistrate Foldats said it was “not the usual sentence” he would impose. Pandemix group fundraises for trip to Canada Hurley’s Supermarket shoppers were entertained with lively steel pan music Saturday as Cayman Pan- demix took to the su- permarket front to raise money for an upcoming trip to Canada. Thirteen members of the group will travel to Toronto from July 27 to Aug. 10 to compete in the Pan Alive competition. Donations were collected for accommodation, transportation and airfares at Hurley’s and the Foster’s Strand Supermarket. Marlique Muir, a member of Pandemix, said they are looking forward to competing alongside “Afropan.” Afropan steel band, “the people’s band,” is Toronto’s oldest and most successful steel band. The group has won awards for the best steel pan band at the Caribana Festival 26 of the competition’s 36 years. Every summer, Toronto features the excitement of ca- lypso, steel pan and elaborate masquerade costumes during the Scotiabank Caribana Festival, which attracts more than a million partici- pants annually. Ms. Muir, who attends the University College of the Cayman Islands, said she has been playing with Pandemix for two semesters, and com- peting in the Pan Alive com- petition will help to improve their skills. “We are glad we can stay in the area and that they didn’t uproot us and send us to East End or Bodden Town or somewhere.” SHERMAN MYLES, homeowner Project Manager Mark Scotland said the new houses were built to the same specifications as the homes that were being demolished. – PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Homes ‘moved’ for road development Marlique Muir and Nayil Arana from the group Pandemix fundraise in front of Hurley’s Supermarket. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY New governor chosen for Cayman Islands CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 SENTENCING DELAYED IN ASSAULT CASE Sentencing was de- layed Monday in the case of a former teacher’s aide who pleaded guilty to inde- cently assaulting four girls who were students at a gov- ernment primary school in 2014. The case was sched- uled for sentencing on Monday but was delayed until July 18 due to an ad- ministrative adjournment. The defendant was first brought to court in July of 2015 at age 19, and was found fit to plea in No- vember of that year. The de- fendant originally pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of indecently assaulting seven different girls. The plea was ultimately changed to guilty on four counts in March of 2017, and charges relating to three other girls were left on file. In 2004 Mr. Choudhury was targeted by Islamist militants in connection with a grenade attack in Sylhet, Bangladesh. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The 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 JUNE 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, JUNE 27 TALK ABOUT TURTLE MEAT: Megan Hogseth speaks about “The Sailor’s Soup Pot in the 17th and 18th Centuries – Sea Turtle Meat Consumption & Trade” at 6 p.m. at the National Museum. $10 admission includes refreshments and admission to all exhibits. Season pass to speaker series, $50. FRIDAY, JUNE 30 BUSINESS SEMINAR: Business incubation and innovation – a nexus for small island countries. 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Free. Government Administration Building, Room 2112. Register online at www.caymanchamber.ky. SATURDAY, JULY 1 COMMUNITY SUMMER SALE: Eastern Avenue, 6-9 a.m., in parking lot next to Mandy’s Linens. All are invited to make extra cash from unused clothing, toys, books, electronics and more. Contact bigheartscayman@ gmail.com or call 324-7724 to arrange collection or to register for a place. $25 per space, with all proceeds for community projects. Sellers may bring their own tables, chairs, tents or rugs, but these items can be provided for a fee. SUNDAY, JULY 2 GRADUATES SERVICE: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church invites all to the graduates service at 7 p.m. MONDAY, JULY 3 CHURCH FAIR: Gun Bay United Church Fair will be held at the Elliott Conolly Civic Centre from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lots of food including heavy cakes and homemade ice cream on sale. All are invited. FISHING TOURNAMENT: Burnis Ebanks Memorial Barkers Bay Fishing Tournament, catch & release. No registration fee, but bring your own fishing lines/bait along with chair or beach towel. Fishing starts 9 a.m. Break/refreshments, 10:30 a.m. Tournament finishes 11:30 a.m. Prizes at noon. All are invited to come and enjoy a day of reminiscing, refreshments and relaxation. For more information contact Eziethamae, 929-9932. SUMMER CAMPS, VBS YOUTH RUGBY: July 4-7. For ages 6-16. Half day, 8 a.m. to noon, $125. Full day, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. $250, includes lunch. Venue is CRFU/Beach. Contact edward.westin@ caymanrugby.com. YOUTH SERVICES UNIT: Three camps offered. To register or for more information, contact James Myles, 943-1127 or james. myles@gov.ky. Teens Cake Boss, July 4-7. Ages 13-17. Suitable for young bakers with intermediate or expert skills. Cost is $50. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at John Gray High School Cooking Classrooms. Learn to Cook, July 4-7. Ages 11-17. Cost is $50. Teen Summit – Coat of Arms, July 10-14. Ages 13-17. Visit iconic sites and take part in competitions to foster civics and celebrate diverse culture. Cost is $50. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UCCI. TEEN CHALLENGE: Red Bay Church of God (Holiness) holds a Teen Challenge, Rome, Paul and the Underground Church, for ages 13-19, July 3-7, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Bible lessons, games, snacks, and lots of activities. All free. For more info, call 925-2509 or 326-7867. LEARNING CABOOSE: Offered through Church of God Chapel. July 3-28. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For ages 5-13. Cost is $250. Activities include arts and crafts, glass bottom boat, fishing, sports. Call 929-9222 or 949-1794. KIDS ABILITY: Preschool and Kindergarten Readiness for ages 2.5 to 4.5. 8:30- 11:30 a.m. July 4 to Aug. 11. $275 per week. Social skills camps for ages 5-7, 7-11. Weekly themed camps, July 4 to Aug. 11. Also baby play times. Contact info@kidsability.ky. IMMERSE: The Cayman Islands National Museum on the Waterfront is holding a camp to brief children on the region’s rich maritime history. Cost is $100. Ages 9-11 for session running from July 17-21; Ages 12-14 for session running from July 24-28. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: Red Bay Church of God (Holiness) holds Vacation Bible School for ages 3-12. July 10-14. 6:30-9 p.m. Lots of fun activities, craft, bible lessons, snacks and prizes. All free. For more info, call 925-2509 or 326-7867. ACTING CAMPS: Organized by Cayman Drama Society at Prospect Playhouse. 8-11 year olds, July 24-28. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $300 the week. 12-16 year olds. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $325 for the week. Email training@cds.ky to book. HORSE CAMP: Coral Stone Stables, West Bay. For ages 7-16. July 4-28. 8 a.m. to noon. $250 per week; $50 per day. Children must be physically fit; no experience necessary. Contact Noland at 916-4799 or coralstonestables@gmail.com. GENERAL INTEREST CELEBRATING FATHERS: The Family Resource Centre has launched a Responsible Fatherhood “Be a Dad Daily” campaign to celebrate good fathers throughout the rest of June. Children are invited to either email the Family Resource Centre or log on to its Facebook page to write about the ways in which their dads are there for them, using the hashtag #beadaddaily. Alternatively, participants can email or upload a picture with a caption of these doting dads. The best responses will receive a prize. To enter, send submissions either to frc@gov.ky or post them on www.facebook.com/ familyresourcecentre. HUMANE SOCIETY THRIFT SHOP: The shop has moved to Venetia Plaza, next to China Village. The thrift shop is open Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed on Sunday and Monday. Phone 945-5596. DVDL REPLACES TEMP PLATES: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing is replacing all Temporary Registration Plates. Customers who have been contacted by the department are asked to collect their new registration plates. They are reminded to bring the temporary registration plates, windshield coupon (if not expired) and log book. CONTRACTORS REGISTRATION: The deadline for residential and building contractors is June 30; trade contractors’ deadline is Aug. 31. 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. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. 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. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc., in good condition always needed. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: The Thrift Shop opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed evenings. Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 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 at 516-2578 or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. OPEN STUDIO: Every Thursday 10 a.m. till noon and every Monday 1-4 p.m. at Watler House Studio on grounds of Pedro Castle. Offered by Visual Arts Society to adults/youth who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Contact info@visualartcayman.com. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay every Wednesday, noon till 8 p.m. Visual Arts Society artists display arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale. Email info@visualartcayman.com. OPEN CANVAS: Wednesdays. Visual Arts Society supports this event at KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay. 7-11 p.m. No fee, easels provided. Contact info@ongart.com or jar.was@gmail.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. 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 Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. 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. TOASTMASTERS CLUB: Cayman has three chapters of Toastmasters International, geared toward development of public speaking and leadership skills. Grand Cayman club meets at George Town Public Library, 3rd floor, 6-7:15 p.m. every Thursday. Eloquent Speaker club meets 2nd and 4th Tuesday 6:30–7:45 p.m. at Savannah United Church Hall. Eminent Orators club meets 2nd and 4th Monday 6–7:30 p.m. at Cayman Academy Canteen. Contact George R. Ebanks at 916-0687/322-9369 or georger.ebanks@gmail.com. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Royal Palms Beach Club, West Bay Road. Contact rotaractblue@ gmail.com or check www. rotaractblue.org. LEO CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, contact Secretary Letisha Allen 924-2819. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, email LionsClubGCM@hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: Meet every first and third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Elizabethan Square (corner unit next to the MLA’s office). Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7 a.m. every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. website at www.rotarysunrise.ky or contact info@rotarysunrise.ky. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30 p.m., at Britannia Golf Course Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. For more information, email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. OPTIMIST CLUB: Meets first and third Thursdays at the Hibiscus Conference Room, George Town Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Email optimistcayman@yahoo.com. THE MODEL AIRPLANE FLYING CLUB: Meets Sundays 2 p.m. at the J. Bodden Marlpit/Old Raceway. Call 916–2327 for more information. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events.DISTRICT DAYS 7 District Days Sister Islands CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 27, 2017 Brackers get fit at health fair The Cayman Brac commu- nity is in better shape after joining forces with Adventist Church services department to host its first health fair. More than three dozen vol- unteers from Grand Cayman made the trip to work with Brac volunteers in the three- day community outreach pro- gram, which took place June 16 to June 19. “It was truly a collabor- ative effort involving busi- nesses and individuals on the national and local levels and the many hardworking volun- teers on both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac,” said An- gela Hall, associate director coordinating the Cayman Brac volunteer effort, assisted by Neila Jones, leader of Brac Community Services. The health fair was held at Kirkconnell Market parking lot in Stake Bay. In addition to the provision of the vouchers for free mammograms and arrangements for free pros- tate cancer tests, the fair of- fered glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol checks, coun- selling and prayer sessions, an exhibit of natural cos- metics and remedies, mas- sages, a juice bar and more. One hundred and twenty bags of groceries were also distributed along with 40 school bags and supplies to assist parents prepare their children for the up- coming school year. “We had thirty bags of groceries and twenty school bags and supplies remaining after the fair, and we left those behind for distribu- tion in the Brac community by the Creek Church’s Com- munity Services Leader,” said Mrs. Hall. Ms. Hall also acknowl- edged contributions made by Brac MLAs and Cabinet Ministers Juliana O’Connor- Connolly and Deputy Pre- mier Moses Kirkconnell, who jointly funded one night’s ac- commodation for the Grand Cayman contingent at the Es- peranza Guest House. While on the Brac, the Grand Cayman volunteers visited homes to conduct a needs assessment survey. “We were very pleased with the welcome we received on Cayman Brac,” Mrs. Hall said, “everywhere we went Brackers opened their homes. That and the joy that showed on faces as we extended our services to them, made all the planning and hard work worthwhile,” she added. Adventist Community Ser- vices Director Pastor Caple Thompson said the fair went very well, despite the week- end’s inclement weather. “While attendance at the fair had a slow start, it picked up in the afternoon when those who attended morning church services dropped by,” said Pastor Thompson. He hopes the first joint event of its kind will become an annual event. Jewel Meikle, Cayman Academy deputy principal ac- knowledged why her partici- pation in the event was im- portant. “Faith without works is dead,” she said. Ms. Meikle and her team counseled a total of around 10 teens and adults about the dangers of drug use and abuse. Simone Richards and her team dispensed advice on the subject of teenage preg- nancies. Stephanie Jackos spearheading grocery distri- bution teams from Kings and Newlands churches said she was motivated by a desire “to touch people’s lives.” Brac’s PWD loaned tables and tents. On Grand Cayman, Foster’s and Cost-u-Less gave funds and goods. The Cancer Society contributed vouchers for free mammograms, eight of which were given out at the fair, and arranged free pros- tate cancer testing for nine men at the Faith Hospital. The food and school supplies were addition- ally funded from the $2,535 raised at a Community Ser- vices’ garage sale and brunch on Grand Cayman in May. Little Cayman – One of a kind chandelier In this image, Waid Moore, manager of McCoys Ocean View BBQ & Sunset Bar on Little Cayman, proudly displays a “one of a kind” nautical chandelier made from the ship’s wheel of his grandfather’s 95-foot steel-hulled freighter the Warm Wind. Waid’s grandfather, the late Mr. Sam McCoy, owned the ship that carried freight between the Cayman islands, Jamaica and Cuba. The lights on the chandelier are comprised of colorful Christmas lights and the wooden handcrafted decorations were made in Cuba. It’s certainly a conversation piece at the popular watering hole which is one of the oldest bars on the island. 50 YEARS Little Cayman skeleton update In the June 28, 1967 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, “Cayman Brac Calling” correspon- dent Lilian Ritch wrote: “On Tuesday, May 23, Police Constable Rudolph Evans of the Creek Con- stabulary received a re- port from Elvern Hurlstone saying that he had found the remains of a human at Little Cayman. He brought a portion of the bones, the fibula and tibia (leg bones) in support of his state- ment. Cons. Evans took the bones to the GMO, Dr. Henry Collins, who identi- fied them to be those of a male person between the ages of 17 and 25 years. On the same day, Dr. Collins, the District Commissioner Mr. D.H. Foster, Mr. Garland Jackson, Clerk of the Post Office, Mr. Parker Tibbetts and Cons. Evans went to the scene at Little Cayman where the doctor examined the skeleton in its bed in the sand. Part of the same was brought that day to be kept in custody pending investigation. “Subsequently the bal- ance was brought up so that the full remains are in police custody. “The discovery was made by workmen as they dug a spot for a cesspit in extension to the dwelling house of Mr. and Mrs. Bur- gess Meredith (film stars) who own the property. “Chief of Police R.S. Be- sant came on Thursday to Saturday and examined a number of the leading wit- nesses in the recalled dis- appearance of Willard Ebanks, 17, in 1947. “Amongst those in- terviewed were the par- ents of the missing child, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Ebanks of Cotton Tree Bay, Cayman Brac. “There were at least four persons of whom it can definitely be con- cluded that they saw Wil- lard immediately before his disappearance. “Jamaica has offered government pathologist and X-ray examinations of the recovered skeleton. CP Besant also revisited the scene of the grave.” Dozens of volunteers travelled to Cayman Brac to participate in the weekend of community services activities. Community Services Director Pastor Caple Thompson is in the front row, wearing a blue shirt. Community Services volunteers Natalie Anderson and Janice Blackwood give youngsters back-to-school supplies. Volunteer Patricia Solomon shares information on natural cosmetics with visitors.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY JUNE 27, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Supreme Court reinstates Trump travel ban The Supreme Court is letting the Trump administration mostly enforce its 90-day ban on travelers from six mostly Muslim countries, overturning lower court orders that blocked it. Monday’s action is a victory for President Trump in the biggest legal controversy of his young presidency. Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, July 3rd, Constitution Day (Public Holiday) Constitution Day PUBLIC HOLIDAY Monday, July 3rd PUBLICATION DEADLINES: Celebrate (345) 949-5111 • sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com EDITION BOOKING DEADLINE Monday July 3rd No Publication Tuesday July 4th Thursday June 29th Wednesday July 5th Friday June 30th Thursday July 6th Friday June 30th Friday July 7th Tuesday July 4th May seals billion-pound Northern Irish deal to remain in power U.K. Prime Minister The- resa May kept her grip on power by reaching a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party, which will support her minority government in key votes in Parliament in re- turn for extra funding for Northern Ireland. The deal was sealed on Monday morning in London after talks between May and DUP leader Arlene Foster at the premier’s office in Downing Street. Broadcasters aired footage of Conservative Chief Whip Gavin Williamson and the DUP’s Jeffrey Don- aldson, the party’s longest- serving member of Parlia- ment, signing the accord and shaking hands. “This means the DUP will support the Conservative government on votes on the Queen’s Speech, the budget, and legislation relating to Brexit and national security,” May said in a statement. The agreement “will enable us to work together in the interest of the whole United Kingdom, give us the certainty we re- quire as we embark on our departure from the European Union, and help us build a stronger and fairer so- ciety at home.” The so-called confidence- and-supply agreement caps 17 days of discussions after the Conservatives unexpect- edly lost their parliamentary majority in this month’s snap election. With May relying on the DUP’s 10 lawmakers to win votes in the House of Commons, talks centered on extra money for Northern Ire- land and Brexit plans. Speaking in Downing Street, Foster said that gov- ernment will channel an extra 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) to Northern Ireland over the next two years. May will also abandon Conserva- tive pre-election plans that would have cut guarantees to pensioners on the level of state pensions and on pay- ments to subsidize winter- heating costs, she said. The deal will “deliver a stable government in the United Kingdom’s national interest at this vital time,” Foster said. “In concluding this wide-ranging agreement, we have done so on the basis of advancing the security of our nation, building pros- perity for all, and supporting an exit from the European Union that benefits all parts of the United Kingdom.” The first test of the agree- ment will come this week, when votes are due to be held on May’s legislative agenda for the next two years. The Tories and the DUP together have 327 of the 650 seats in the Commons. Parties op- posed to May have 314 seats. Last week, the premier outlined a pared-down pro- gram, to which the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties are proposing amendments. May’s planned legislation in- cludes eight Brexit bills on topics ranging from agricul- ture and fisheries to nuclear cooperation and immigration. Later on Monday, May will also publish details on how she intends to pro- tect the rights of 3.2 mil- lion EU nationals residing in Britain once the U.K. has left the bloc in 2019. She drew a tepid reaction from fellow EU leaders last week when she sketched out the plans at a meeting in Brussels. In the written accord set- ting out the agreement, the two parties promised to con- tinue the deal for the full length of the current parlia- mentary term, which is due to last until 2022. DUP lawmakers will also support May’s Brexit laws, “in line with the parties’ shared priorities for negotiating a successful exit from the Eu- ropean Union.” The DUP will decide whether to support the Tories on other matters “case by case,” according to the document. “It’s a very good deal for the DUP. One billion pounds over two years, with the prospect of more cash if the deal is extended,” said Uni- versity of Liverpool pro- fessor Jonathan Tonge, who co-authored a 2014 book on the Northern Irish party. “The Conservatives simply had no choice.” © 2017, Bloomberg GUATAPE, Colombia (AP) – Scuba divers on Monday con- tinued searching for bodies in a reservoir near the Co- lombian city of Medellin where a tourist boat packed with more than 150 passen- gers for the holiday weekend capsized, leaving at least six people dead and 15 missing. Rescuers including fire- fighters and air force pilots in helicopters searched for survivors at the Guatape res- ervoir where El Almirante ferry sank. A flotilla of rec- reational boats and Jet Skis had rushed to the scene, pulling people from the boat as it went down and avoiding an even deadlier tragedy. Dramatic videos circu- lating on social media show the turquoise-and-yellow- trimmed party boat rocking back and forth as people crawled down from a fourth- deck roof as it sank in a matter of minutes. Survivors described hearing a loud ex- plosion near the men’s bath- room that knocked out power a few minutes after the boat began its cruise around the giant lake. As water flooded on board, pressure built and people were sucked under by the sinking ship. “Those on the first and second decks sank imme- diately,” survivor Lorena Salazar told local media. “All we could do was scream and call for help … it was com- pletely chaotic.” In the absence of a pas- senger list, authorities have been relying on family num- bers and survivors to report their whereabouts. Over- night they reduced to 15 the number of people missing, down from an earlier count of twice that amount. Of the 134 people who survived the crash, three remain hospital- ized but are out of danger, said Margarita Moncada, the head of the disaster relief agency in Antioquia state. A group of 25 scuba divers had to suspend their search overnight due to a lightning storm. But they re- sumed their work before dawn Monday in hour-long shifts, looking to sweep for trapped bodies in the frigid, algae-filled waters around the wreckage at a depth of over 30 meters (100 feet). Moncada said the hardest part for scuba divers is to safely search the area around the first deck of the boat. 15 still missing after tourist boat sinks in Colombia Youths who survived Sunday’s capsizing of a ferry wait for more information about their missing friends and relatives, at a reservoir in Guatape, Colombia. – PHOTO: AP Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May welcomes Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster, center, and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds outside 10 Downing Street in London, Monday. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 27, 2017 Trump eager for big meeting with Putin; some advisers wary WASHINGTON (AP) – Presi- dent Donald Trump is eager to meet Russian President Vlad- imir Putin with full diplo- matic bells and whistles when the two are in Germany for a multinational summit next month. But the idea is ex- posing deep divisions within the administration on the best way to approach Moscow in the midst of an ongoing in- vestigation into Russian med- dling in the U.S. elections. Many administration of- ficials believe the U.S. needs to maintain its distance from Russia at such a sensitive time – and interact only with great caution. But Trump and some others within his administra- tion have been pressing for a full bilateral meeting. He’s calling for media access and all the typical protocol as- sociated with such sessions, even as officials within the State Department and Na- tional Security Council urge more restraint, according to a current and a former admin- istration official. Some advisers have rec- ommended that the president instead do either a quick, in- formal “pull-aside” on the side- lines of the summit, or that the U.S. and Russian delegations hold “strategic stability talks,” which typically don’t involve the presidents. The officials spoke anonymously to discuss private policy discussions. The contrasting views underscore differing views within the administration on overall Russia policy, and Trump’s eagerness to develop a working relationship with Russia despite the ongoing investigations. Asked about the AP re- port that Trump is eager for a full bilateral meeting, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow on Monday that “the pro- tocol side of it is secondary.” The two leaders will be at- tending the same event in the same place at the same time, Peskov said, so “in any case there will be a chance to meet.” Peskov added, how- ever, that no progress in ham- mering out the details of the meeting has been made yet. There are potential bene- fits to a meeting with Putin. A face-to-face meeting can humanize the two sides and often removes some of the intrigue involved in imper- sonal, telephone communi- cation. Trump – the ultimate dealmaker – has repeatedly suggested that he can replace the Obama-era damage in the U.S.-Russia relationship with a partnership, particularly on issues like the ongoing Syria conflict. There are big risks, though. Trump is known to veer off- script, creating the possibility for a high-stakes diplomatic blunder. In a brief Oval Office meeting with top Russian dip- lomats last month, Trump re- vealed highly classified infor- mation about an Islamic State group threat to airlines that was relayed to him by Israel, according to a senior admin- istration official. The White House defended the disclo- sures as “wholly appropriate.” In addition, many ob- servers warn that Putin is not to be trusted. Oleg Kalugin, a former general with Russia’s main security agency, known as the KGB, said Putin, a shrewd and experienced pol- itician, has “other priorities” than discussing the accu- sations that Russia hacked the U.S. election with Trump, such as easing sanctions, raising oil prices, as well as next year’s presidential elec- tions in Russia. “Putin knows how to re- direct a conversation in his favor,” Kalugin said. Nina Khrushcheva, a Rus- sian affairs professor at the New School, said Trump is in an “impossible position.” “He can’t be too nice to Putin because it’s going to be interpreted in a way that suggests he has a special re- lationship with Russia,” she said. “He can’t be too mean because Putin has long arms and KGB thinking. So Trump needs to have a good rela- tionship with him but he also needs to fulfill his campaign promises of establishing better relations with Russia.” The White House said no final decision has been made about whether a meeting will take place. It did not re- spond to questions about the opposing views within the administration. Bilateral meetings are common during summits like the G-20, where many world leaders and their advisers are gathered in one place. The meetings are typically highly choreographed affairs, with everything from the way the two leaders shake hands to the looks that they exchange and the actual words spoken offering glimpses into the state of affairs. The last U.S.-Russia bilat- eral meeting was a 2015 en- counter between Putin and President Barack Obama that began with an awkward handshake and ended with progress on the brutal civil war in Syria. That 2015 meeting, the first in two years, involved a 90-minute sit-down at U.N. headquarters. Greece: Garbage piles mount in capital as heat wave looms ATHENS, Greece (AP) – With a heat wave expected later this week, Greece’s gov- ernment on Monday failed to persuade striking gar- bage collectors to return to work after a 10-day pro- test left huge piles of trash around Athens. Striking workers scuf- fled with riot police in cen- tral Athens outside the stut- tered entrance of the Interior Ministry building, where a union delegation pre- sented its demands. Nikos Trikas, leader of the municipal workers’ union, said the strike would continue at least until Thursday, with more protests planned on that day. “The government rejected our demands in three min- utes. They have taken their decisions and will allow private contractors to par- ticipate in garbage collec- tion,” Trikas told the AP, surrounded by dozens of striking workers wearing or- ange caps to shield them- selves from the sun. He said his union would formally request a meeting with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday. “Basically, they are selling us out, and 10,000 (munic- ipal) workers have no idea what their future will be.” Government officials accused the union rep- resentatives of abruptly ending the talks. Temperatures are forecast to reach 42 degrees Celsius in Athens (107 degrees Fahren- heit) by the end of the week, prompting a public health agency to issue a warning over the continuing strike. “The continued accumula- tion of garbage … combined with high temperatures poses a risk to public health,” the state-run Center for Disease Control and Prevention said. Despite the strike, munic- ipal crews agreed to collect some garbage in busy tourist areas, outside hospitals and at intersections where tum- bling piles of trash were slowing traffic. Later Monday, the gov- ernment is due to submit draft legislation to parlia- ment to renew job contracts for thousands municipal garbage works. Striking unions are de- manding that government fulfill commitments to pro- vide permanent jobs for long-term contract workers – an action that could breach strict budget obligations set out under the Greece’s inter- national bailout agreements. Greece has been repeat- edly criticized by the Euro- pean Union for its heavy re- liance on open landfills and low rates of recycling, and has been fined on many oc- casions for failing to close il- legal dump sites. The contrasting views underscore differing views within the administration on overall Russia policy, and Trump’s eagerness to develop a working relationship with Russia despite the ongoing investigations. Striking unions are demanding that government fulfill commitments to provide permanent jobs for long-term contract workers. SUPREME COURT REJECTS GUN RIGHTS APPEAL WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court is rejecting yet another call to decide whether Americans have a constitutional right to carry guns with them out- side their homes. The justices on Monday left in place an appeals court ruling that upheld the San Diego sheriff’s strict limits on issuing permits for concealed weapons. The high court decided in 2008 that the Constitu- tion guarantees the right to a gun, at least for self-de- fense at home. But the justices have refused repeated pleas to spell out the extent of gun rights in the United States, allowing permit restric- tions and assault weapons bans to remain in effect in some cities and states. More than 40 states already broadly allow gun owners to be armed in public. Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gor- such said the court should have reviewed the appel- late ruling. Thomas said the decision not to hear the case “reflects a distressing trend: the treatment of the Second Amendment as a disfavored right.” The high court also turned away a second case involving guns and the federal law that bars people convicted of crimes from owning guns. The Trump administra- tion had urged the court to review an appellate ruling that restored the rights of two men who had been convicted of non-violent crimes to own guns. The federal appeals court in Philadelphia ruled for the two men. The crimes were classified as misde- meanors, which typically are less serious, but car- ried potential prison sen- tences of more than a year. Such prison terms typi- cally are for felonies, more serious crimes. The administration says that the court should have upheld the blanket prohi- bition on gun ownership in the federal law and rejected case-by-case challenges. A motorcyclist drives past a pile of garbage in Piraeus, near Athens, on Monday. – PHOTO: AP The justices have refused repeated pleas to spell out the extent of gun rights in the United States. Russian President Vladimir PutinPresident Donald TrumpNext >