Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 WORK PERMIT BACKLOG: ‘HELP WANTED’ (NEEDED) AT IMMIGRATION WORLD & REGIONAL | PAGE 8 GATES MAKES LARGEST DONATION SINCE 2000 WITH $5B GIFT High of 91 Low of 81 ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16, 2017 Dirt bikers cause havoc at Rum Point BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com North Side beachgoers, including children, were nearly struck by an illegal dirt bike rider who was attempting to flee police on Sunday, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said Tuesday. Police said six motorbike riders were spotted in the eastern districts on the main thoroughfares earlier in the day, popping wheelies and revving their engines. The group ended up at Rum Point. Police officers were called to the area, but the six riders sped off in different directions after officers arrived. “One of the riders rode onto the beach, where it is reported that he nearly struck people and children on the sand,” a statement issued by the RCIPS read. “The rider was not pursued onto the sand, but spontaneously rode in that direction on his own.” After the group dispersed from the Rum Point area, police were unable trace them further and no arrests were reported as of Tuesday press time. No injuries were reported. The RCIPS asked anyone who may have re- corded videos on their mobile phones of the Rum Point incident Sunday afternoon to pro- vide those to the police. Police have been cracking down on il- legal motorbikes since late last year when nearly 100 riders tore through the streets of Grand Cayman, disobeying traffic laws and disturbing the peace in a “ride of the century” event. Since January, at least two dozen mo- torbikes have been seized and five of their riders are facing various charges in Traffic Court. However, the RCIPS has not obtained a conviction in any of the matters before the court so far. Four of the five suspects were arrested since December on allegations of dangerous driving, as well as such offenses as driving while disqualified, having no vehicle registra- tion, having an expired registration, or driving CAYMANIAN STATUS TROUBLES AFFECT PR APPLICANTS BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A long-standing problem that involves sig- nificant difficulty in proving whether a person is Caymanian has affected a number of appli- cants for permanent residence in recent weeks. According to local attorneys helping per- manent residence-seekers with their applica- tions, a number of those individuals want to earn points toward residence by stating they trained Caymanians on the job or in their off- hours at various tasks. In order to earn points for that training, the permanent residency seeker must prove the person they have trained is a Caymanian. This seemingly simple step has resulted in a number of applications being deferred and sent back to the applicants for fur- ther information. “There is … an ongoing problem, and this will continue, about providing evidence that a person is Caymanian,” said HSM at- torney Alastair David. “Unless you have been acknowledged [as Caymanian] or you have a Cayman Status Certificate, it is actually quite onerous to provide information that you are Caymanian.” The acknowledgment of the right to be Cay- manian is an official document Caymanians who are born into that status can receive upon application to the Immigration Depart- ment. A Cayman Status Certificate is given to individuals who obtain the status after their birth, for instance to the children of expatri- ates who receive status after a long period of Byrne: Community policing will reduce tourism crime An expanded neighborhood police force should help resolve many of the crime problems Cayman faces in its prime tourist areas and at tourism-related businesses, Police Commissioner Derek Byrne said this week. However, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has no plans to create a separate, tourism-oriented law enforce- ment service that responds solely to crimes reported against visitors to the islands. “Our expanded community policing department will enable us to work more closely with the Cayman Islands Tourism Association to prevent crime through improved safety mes- saging to tourists, in addi- tion to other anti-crime activi- ties foreseen within our greater partnership,” Commissioner Byrne said Monday. Mr. Byrne met recently with top government and private sector officials with respon- sibility for tourism, including Deputy Premier Moses Kirk- connell and tourism associa- tion President Theresa Leacock- Broderick to discuss crimes occurring in tourism areas and against tourists. Crimes against tourists in Cayman are rare, but con- cerns have been raised about a number of incidents, including bag-snatching on the beach, the public use of ganja and the loss of passports. “[The tourism association] PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » An RCIPS officer guides tourists to the pedestrian crossing on Harbour Drive Tuesday. The police service says its revamped neighborhood policing program should provide more visibility in high-traffic tourism areas. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) 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. - WEDNESDAY - ARMED RESPONSE (R) 1:25 I 5:05 I 6:35 I 9:25 EMOJI MOVIE 3D (PG) 1:35 2D I 2:50 2D I 4:20 I 7:05 2D SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 3D (PG13) 12:45 2D I 3:45 I 6:45 2D I 9:40 DARK TOWER (PG13) 12:30 VIP I 2:50 VIP I 4:00 I 7:40 VIP 9:10 I 10:00 VIP GIRLS TRIP (R) 1:25 I 4:15 I 7:00 I 9:45 DUNKIRK (PG13) 12:20 I 5:10 VIP I 7:20 I 9:50 Police investigate indecent Instagram photos Images include some of girls under 18 JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Indecent photos of young Cayman Islands women, in- cluding some girls under 18, have been posted to a social media site, prompting a po- lice investigation. The pictures, accompa- nied by demeaning com- ments, were circulated via an Instagram profile. Police began receiving complaints about the images late last week. The images have now been removed from the site, and an investigation has been launched. It is understood that these photos were taken with the consent of or even by the girls themselves, but were never in- tended to be shared publicly. Detective Inspector Kevin Ashworth, co-supervisor of the Multi-Agency Child Safe- guarding Hub, which leads child protection investiga- tions, said it appears that someone exploited the trust of the girls to publicly re- lease the images. He warned teenagers against sending explicit im- ages of themselves, even if they were in a relationship. “Think before you click,” he said. “Is this an image you would want to be seen by your grandmother and poten- tially by anyone around the world, because that is, unfor- tunately, a possibility.” In this case, he said, the publication of the images was being investigated as po- tential misuse of an ICT (in- formation and communica- tion technology) network to cause alarm or distress, as well as possession and circu- lation of indecent images. He also warned young people about sharing images of themselves. “We do not want to crimi- nalize young people, but ed- ucate them about the poten- tial long-term consequences of taking and sharing these kinds of photos,” he said. “Im- ages that are shared via any social media platform can re- surface later and cause em- barrassment or worse. “We also want them to understand that even just sharing personal photos of this nature with one other person through their phones can be an offense, in addi- tion to publicizing or dis- tributing them.” Anyone with information about these posts is encouraged to call the Multi- Agency Child Safeguarding Hub or Family Support Unit at 814-6000. Teens learn about sustainability at UWC camp Eight teens from sec- ondary schools on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac came away with a better un- derstanding of issues per- taining to sustainability after attending a summer camp program earlier this month. “Toward a Sustainable Fu- ture,” was hosted by United World Colleges Cayman Is- lands National Committee from Aug. 3-6 for students ages 14-16. They learned about economic, social and environ- mental sustainability from local experts – how Cayman fits into the global picture and what they can do to create a more sustainable future. The camp included a snorkeling trip and a trip to The Farmacy, a farm run by Josh Clarke, who raises ani- mals and grows fresh pro- duce in North Side. “In a short amount of time, both students and facil- itators were able to bond and learn from each other. It was inspiring to work with such a dynamic and diverse group of young people,” said Martina Jackson, lead facilitator. UWC Cayman Islands chairwoman Aubrey Bodden thanked the short program’s volunteer presenters and fa- cilitators and its corporate sponsors. She said the nom- inal tuition rate ensured local students would have the op- portunity to take part. “We believe it is impor- tant to promote discussion on these important issues and equip young people with the knowledge and tools to be- come agents of change,” she said. “During our first course, in August 2015, we concen- trated more heavily on the nat- ural environment. This year, we were pleased to further in- tegrate economic and social considerations to provide a broader view of sustainability.” Ten junior facilitators, who attend UWC colleges or are recent alumni, helped or- ganize the program and also participated in the seminars and activities. Immigration clients get scam email Malware in an email purporting to be from the Cayman Islands Immigra- tion Department was sent out Tuesday to various immi- gration clients, the Ministry of Immigration confirmed. The email, originating from “Royal Cayman Im- migration” – a department that does not exist – was sent from a bogus address and contained computer vi- ruses that could harm the user’s computer or their company’s network, immi- gration officials said. The email’s subject line read “new rules and regula- tions” for a number of immi- gration processes, including work permit and permanent residence applications. It then asked the recipient to “click here to review details” – a step that would active the malware, officials said. Government officials said they were looking into how a list of Immigration Department client emails had been obtained and said no new laws or policies had been approved recently relative to any of the per- mits described in the email. “If the Department of Immigration has imple- mented any new laws, reg- ulation and/or policies, they will be posted to the offi- cial website,” the warning sent from the department Tuesday states. The pictures, accompanied by demeaning comments were circulated via an Instagram profile. UWC campers visit the Cayman Crystal Caves. Participants pose with their certificates following the closing ceremony of the UWC Cayman Islands ‘Toward a Sustainable Future’ summer camp. GERT STRENGTHENS INTO HURRICANE IN ATLANTIC MIAMI (AP) – Forecasters say Gert has strengthened to become the second hur- ricane of the season in the Atlantic Ocean. The National Hurricane Center says Gert was about 445 miles west of Bermuda late Monday and had max- imum sustained winds of 75 mph. The storm was moving north at 8 mph. The weather advisory says Gert has developed an eye and is expected to strengthen in the next 48 hours. The forecast calls for it to turn northeast and ac- celerate Tuesday night. Swells generated by Gert will begin to affect portions of Bermuda and the U.S. East Coast – from North Carolina to New York – over the next couple of days. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect, but the hurricane center says these swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current condi- tions in the region. Hur- ricane Franklin became the first hurricane of the 2017 season in the At- lantic last week. The storm made land- fall on Mexico’s Gulf Coast early Thursday as a Cate- gory 1 hurricane.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16, 2017 Challenges The advent of social media has certainly changed the speed at which information is exchanged. This was evident in the May 2017 general elections. Communication was immediate and the impact was felt, whether or not the content comprised of facts, alternative facts or hearsay. This was especially the case where the qualifications of candidates were challenged. Hav- ing had the humble experience of a challenge near election date, I thought it would be useful to share a few suggestions on how candidate challenges could be addressed at an earlier date and changes that the general public might like to discuss with their representatives regarding the Elections Law (2017 Revision) and the Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009 (together, the “Election Laws”). Qualifying as a candidate The Election Laws indicate that a person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly if he or she has resided in the Cayman Islands for a period of not less than seven years immediately preceding the date of his or her nomination for election and the number of days on which he or she was absent from the Cayman Islands in that period does not exceed 400. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. These exceptions are the performance of duty on behalf of the government, attendance as a student at any educational establishment, attendance as a patient at any hospital, clinic or other medical institution, employment as a seaman aboard an ocean-going vessel or employment as a crew member on any aircraft. I submit that voters might consider whether 400 (as a number of days) is a magic number or whether the exceptions could be extended to modern day considerations. Looking at the magic number, I suspect that, logically, the more days present on island would translate to more knowledge of historical events affecting the economy, etcetera. The depth and value-added contribution by a candidate might then intensify. While there is some truth to this, social media has advanced information sharing to the point that news reports are online, along with legislative changes and current events. One can even tune into a discussion on a local talk show and participate from overseas. Bearing this in mind, perhaps, the magic number could be removed from the Election Laws. It would then be left to the candidate (in order to increase the chances of success) to show involvement in the relevant elec- toral district (and the wider Cayman Islands) and connect with prospective constituents during the four-year period leading up to the next election. In the event that the public debates that a magic number is important, I would humbly suggest that a few exceptions be added where the magic number absence would be disregarded. These exceptions might apply where a candidate is required to travel frequently for business (for example, those persons working in marketing, wholesale or business development) or where a candidate was previously gaining work experience overseas (international experience is deemed beneficial to the pillars of the economy). These are modern circumstances where Caymanians are required to travel and, perhaps, should not be held against a candidate as an unacceptable period of absence from the Cayman Islands. Timing of challenges As most people now know, challenges against candidates arose very near to the election date. If this will be the case for future elections, then it is easy to see how candidates would need to have available very large sums of money to resolve court cases and to positively convert or correct (by way of media publications or otherwise) any negative perception of their candidacy. Speaking from experience, it is not an easy task. One suggestion here would be for a declaration of interest to be made to the elections office six months prior to an election date. This would allow the person to be “cleared for election” long before the date of nomination. Another idea is to change the date of nomination to an earlier date, with no requirement for the legislature to dissolve. Without a change in this area, candidates will be negatively impacted close to election dates. (In any event, members of the public indicated during the May 2017 elections that they would like more time to get to know candidates and share their concerns, so being officially declared as a candidate six months prior to an election date is immensely beneficial to the public.) Losing a challenge and having no right of appeal One of the surprising things about the Election Laws is that, if a candidate is unsuccessful in a court challenge against him, he has no right to appeal the court decision. This is an interesting position because others take the pleasure of a right of appeal (under certain circumstances) under the provisions of other laws of the Cayman Islands. I am not sure how this can be resolved other than leaving the same for members of the public to consider whether it is beneficial to have such a right or opportunity. Pondering…if the Election Laws were to eventually change though…to permit a right of appeal, then the date of candidate declarations would definitely have to change – to allow time for a court challenge and time for an appeal (luckily, I was suc- cessful and did not require an appeal - others were not so fortunate). Discussion with representatives It may be a good time now to sit down with district representatives and ask them to share their thoughts on any evolution of the Election Laws. Representatives might decide that no amendments are required. Alternatively, the public may want to see changes and press for them now, rather than wait until the next election. Student fined for importing air rifle, no conviction recorded CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A student who brought home an air rifle without a license to import it was fined $4,000 on Monday, but no conviction was recorded against him after the magis- trate found there were excep- tional circumstances. Kaleb Leslie Ebanks was also ordered to perform 240 hours of community service and attend any counseling di- rected by the Department of Community Rehabilitation over the next two years. Ebanks had previously pleaded guilty to importing and possessing a .177 Daisy 880 Powerline multi-pump pneumatic air rife and a box of pellets on April 6, 2016. He was 21 at the time and coming back from school in Florida with his belongings. As Magistrate Angelyn Hernandez summed up in her sentencing remarks, Ebanks was coming through Cus- toms at Owen Roberts Inter- national Airport when he was asked what was in his lug- gage. He said school supplies. When the luggage was exam- ined, the air rifle and box of pellets were discovered. Ebanks told the officer the rifle was “a toy,” as it was sold to children over 14 in Florida. It was in its original Walmart box. He said he intended to use it to shoot iguanas around his parents’ house. Crown counsel Darlene Oko and defense attorney John Furniss agreed that the air rifle fell within the defi- nition of firearm because it was a lethal-barreled weapon, meaning it could cause death or injury. The Firearms Law sets a mandatory sentence of seven years on a guilty plea unless there are exceptional circum- stances relating to the offense or the offender. The magis- trate said she was satisfied that in this case, there were exceptional circumstances. She referred to a 2009 de- cision from the Cayman Is- lands Court of Appeal in which a two-year sentence was reduced to 12 months for possession of an unli- censed air rifle. Mr. Furniss submitted that Ebanks’s circumstances were different. In the 2009 case, the defendant had im- ported the air rifle. He then became aware of the require- ment to have a license for it and took preliminary steps to obtain one. But before ob- taining a license, he took the air rifle away from his own premises and shot vermin. In contrast, Mr. Furniss pointed out, Ebanks’s air rifle never left the Customs area of the airport and was there- fore never in a place where it could fall into the wrong hands. Ebanks had posses- sion of the air rifle in Cayman a matter of minutes rather than hours or days. The attorney acknowl- edged that his client’s main difficulty was that he did not immediately declare the gun when asked what was in his luggage. But he argued that there was no deliberate intent to deceive and the magistrate agreed, given that the air rifle was in its original box. She also agreed that Ebanks was a bright young man who had trained under a government scholarship to be an aviation engineer. She observed that after his ar- rest last year, he returned to school to complete his studies. He had no previous convictions and was in- volved in community work through his sports team. She commented that he was more guilty of “gross” or “youthful” ignorance than he was of willfully commit- ting an offense. Given Ebanks’s character, antecedents, age and the cir- cumstances of this case, the magistrate said she was sat- isfied that justice would be served by the imposition of the fine, community ser- vice and the requirement to submit to the Department of Community Rehabilitation. No conviction was to be re- corded, she confirmed. Speaking directly to Ebanks, the magistrate said she knew he probably had friends who shared the same view he had about air rifles. She told him he needed to let them know the consequences he had escaped. The magis- trate ordered the forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition. Ebanks was given one month to pay the fine. CRUISE SHIP TOURIST DIES ON SNORKEL TRIP A 70-year-old American woman died Monday after getting into difficulties while on a snorkel trip, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice reported. Police were notified by 911 that the woman was being brought in to the dock at the Yacht Club in West Bay. The woman, a cruise ship passenger, was pulled from the water during the snorkel trip after she got into trouble. She was given CPR and ox- ygen on board the craft, but was not able to be revived, police reported. Paramedics brought the woman to hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. MAN STABBED AT MCFIELD SQUARE Royal Cayman Islands Po- lice are investigating a stab- bing that occurred early Sunday in George Town’s Mc- Field Square. Officers responded to the report of a fight around 2 a.m., but found “no one” there when they arrived. Later Sunday morning, a man told police officers he was stabbed in the leg and beaten at the location by a man whom he knew. The stabbing victim was treated and released at the Cayman Islands Hospital and no arrests were immedi- ately reported. The RCIPS asks anyone with information about this crime to call the George Town Police Station at 949-4222, call the RCIPS tip line at 949-7777 or call Cayman Crime Stoppers at 800-8477. 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. Lines are lengthening, applications are piling up, and tales of dysfunction are becoming all too common at the Cayman Islands Department of Immigration. This time around, the subject is the growing backlog of work permit applications, and the dramatic increase in the time it is taking for those permits to be pro- cessed, approved or denied. As the Cayman Compass reported on Tuesday, immigration officials say they received 18,847 work permit applications between January and July this year – roughly the same number they processed during all of 2016. As any highway engineer will tell you, increased traffic in the absence of increased capacity leads to gridlock. Currently, from the time a work permit is submitted, it can take as long as 10 weeks for it to be considered, approved or denied. For an employer, or an applicant, that can be an eternity. Officials say the current backlog of work permit applications tops 1,700, with more applications being filed every day. The figures include new applications, renewals, extensions, temporary permits, special economic zone permits and amendments to business staffing plans. For the record, the department is claiming it is understaffed – and it very well may be. Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the irony of the Immigration Department and its work permit appa- ratus claiming it needs to fill 11 positions to handle its workload. Welcome to the club. While their desks remain empty, the private sector’s desks are also vacant as companies wait on permit approvals. An oft-repeated narrative is that Cayman is home to more than 1,000 Caymanian adults who are ready, willing and able to work but have been crowded out of job opportunities by the country’s growing expatriate population who have been fortunate enough to have had their work permits approved. If that were true (and it is not), surely officials in the Immigration Department (which is staffed 100 percent by Caymanians) could fill their vacancies by simply asking the National Workforce Development Agency to send over a dozen or so of their best candidates. While we are certain immigration staffers are feeling pressure under growing mountains of paperwork, the best solution may not be a simple increase in head- count. When confronted with a problem, the first instinct of many organizations, especially governments, is to “staff up.” A better approach might be to rethink the entire work permit process, challenging every assumption of what is required and why it is required. Can the process be simplified to the point of being almost automatic? We accept that processing immigration applica- tions may not be the most glamorous occupation in the world. It no doubt requires an inordinate amount of concentration, as well as rote and repetitious tedium. Most jobs, frankly, are like that. In the newspaper business, for example, each paragraph in this daily newspaper is copy-edited closely for grammar, spelling and clarity of meaning. Perhaps the only thing more mundane than requesting supporting documentation for work permits at Immigration is correcting dangling participles at the Compass. We feel your pain. Such tasks as processing paperwork efficiently, answering phones on the first ring, and updating infor- mational web pages are necessary for businesses to meet the expectations of their clients and essential for governments to assist their citizens. True, the work may not be glamorous, but that does not make it less essential, even vital, to the smooth functioning of our economy and the social well-being of our country. Work permit backlog: ‘Help Wanted’ (needed) at Immigration WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Crucial Chinese response to North Korea’s threats North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs present the United States with no good options, but China’s posture is a foil for its wider stra- tegic objectives. Conventional military ac- tion appears not a viable op- tion. Pyongyang’s artillery batteries could unleash dev- astation on Seoul before U.S. forces could destroy its nu- clear capability. China, as North Korea’s principle economic partner, holds the keys but has only taken limited steps. Its vote in favor of U.N. Security Council economic sanctions notwith- standing, it remains the re- gime’s major trading partner. It would prefer not to insti- gate an economic crisis that could cause millions of refu- gees to rush into China or re- unification of the peninsula under a U.S.-aligned regime. The United States has broader issues with Beijing – China’s territorial claims and militarization of artificial is- lands in neutral waters of the South China Sea, the defense of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan and the $300 billion bilateral trade deficit. Skillfully, Beijing has sug- gested it might do more re- garding North Korea if the United States scaled back joint military exercises with Japan and South Korea – i.e., Beijing will lean harder on the rogue state if America forsakes its allies. The United States should not accede to such blackmail. Former Defense Secre- tary Robert Gates proposes offering China two choices: the United States would rec- ognize North Korea and for- swear a regime change in re- turn for hard, verifiable limits on North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles. Oth- erwise, the United States will “heavily populate Asia with missile defenses,” shoot down anything that “looks like a launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile” and commit to whatever means necessary to “contain this regime.” The United States recog- nizing such a harshly repres- sive regime would smack of appeasement, and China will not bite anyway. Beijing likes the peninsula organized as it is and although it screams U.S. defensive missiles could be used against it, Beijing has no reason to worry if it has no intention of launching an intercontinental ballistic attack. Moreover, the un- ending crisis distracts Wash- ington’s attention from the other above-mentioned Sino- American issues. A permanently beefed up military presence beyond antiballistic missiles could prove quite costly to the United States. It would stretch the Navy and Air Force – al- ready overextended by years of war in the Middle East, troubles in Eastern Europe with Russia, and Obama-era defense spending cuts – to the point of limiting their ability to counter Chinese adven- turism in the South China Sea and elsewhere. China has been quite adroit in tying down U.S. presidents on narrow is- sues and stalling, while it undertakes other provo- cations. For example, per- suading the Trump adminis- tration to negotiate on trade in a few highly focused areas such as beef, while it tar- gets for whole capture the microprocessor, artificial in- telligence and other high- tech industries. The United States needs a radical realignment of com- mercial and security rela- tions with China. We do not need Beijing’s permission to deploy defen- sive missile systems in Asia or let North Korea become a bargaining chip on other problems. Rather, the United States should pursue a three- pronged strategy. In the South China Sea, the Navy should more aggres- sively challenge Chinese oc- cupation of the artificial is- lands, and the United States should demand China evac- uate the islands. On trade, the United States should demand that China manage down its bilateral trade surplus – according to a schedule of specified dollar targets – and open its mar- kets to U.S. investment and intellectual property on the terms its companies enjoy in the West. Or the United States will impose a 40 percent tariff on Chinese exports and sub- ject Chinese investment and intellectual property in the United States to policies that mirror the Chinese regime. On North Korea, the United States should pursue Mr. Gates’ second option and deny access to the U.S. banking system any business in China doing business with North Korea – and their Chi- nese banks as well. Overall, we should refuse to negotiate on any of these initiatives until China agrees to a new regime resolving all these disputes and takes tan- gible, complete actions that address our concerns. Nothing would hit China harder than the economic and trade sanctions pro- posed – and they would hurt Americans too. However, U.S. strategic objectives should not be sold out for commer- cial gain – just as our com- mercial objectives should not be sacrificed to appease an emerging Asian power. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2017, The Washington Times. PETER MORICI 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”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16, 2017 Find out more at www.uwc.org or facebook.com/UWCCaymanIslands THANK YOU With the support of our generous sponsors, the United World Colleges Cayman Islands National Committee hosted its second local short programme 3 - 6 August to engage young people on sustainability issues. We believe it is important to promote discussion and educate, equip and empower young people to become agents of change in our community. EVEN T BRO NZ E SI L V ER GOL D P L A TINU M Police, gov’t still reviewing deadly road accident at airport BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A month after a deadly auto-pedestrian crash killed a visiting doctor at Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts In- ternational Airport, both local police and government officials are still reviewing the incident. No charges had been filed as of Tuesday against the 69-year-old taxi driver who police said struck Dr. Vary Jones-Leslie on July 17 along Owen Roberts Drive as she crossed the road. The Jamaican doctor, 62, died from injuries suffered in the crash on July 18. A police spokesperson said the crash investigation is ongoing and expert re- ports on the incident are still being compiled. Dr. Jones-Leslie, an ob- stetrician-gynecologist, had arrived in Cayman that morning for a temporary shift at the Cayman Islands Hospital, where she was a substitute to assist local phy- sicians. It was an arrange- ment Dr. Jones-Leslie had participated in a number of times for the Health Ser- vices Authority. It appeared that Dr. Jones-Leslie was attempting to walk across the three- lane Owen Roberts Drive just north of the airport terminal around 10:45 a.m. Monday when she was struck, police said. The taxi van that hit her showed sig- nificant damage on the right side of its hood. Some bags she had apparently been carrying on a trolley were strewn across the road, and first responders found her lying in the middle of the street. The deadly accident raised some safety concerns among local officials about the entrance road into the airport terminal. There are three crosswalks along Owen Roberts Drive, which is bookended to the north and south by airport parking lots and by Andy’s Rent-A-Car property. How- ever, there are no crossing lights at those intersections, and the road heading into the airport terminal does not have any speed bumps, al- though the road adjacent to the terminal does. “[The ministry] will … be looking at strengthening ex- isting safety protocols at the airport and its environs in an effort to prevent such in- cidents happening in the fu- ture,” Transport Minister Moses Kirkconnell said fol- lowing the accident. So, far the government has not publicly issued any recommendations for safety improvements along the airport road. The scene of the fatal July 17 accident at Owen Roberts International Airport. – PHOTO: BRENT FULLER Dog may have been victim of animal neglect SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Rufus, the dog brought to Island Veterinary Services with extensive burn wounds last week, may have been suf- fering longer than initially re- ported. Dr. Ioanna Popescu, who treated Rufus, said Tuesday that she believes the animal’s owner waited at least a week before bringing him in for care. The dog’s owner brought him in to the Cayman Is- lands Humane Society on Tuesday, Aug. 8, and they said the animal’s injury occurred on Friday, Aug. 4. But Dr. Popescu, who took care of the dog’s burns and handed him over to a foster owner for fur- ther treatment, believes that cannot be true. “I can’t say if the dog was maliciously burned. It’s impossible for me to say that,” she said. “But what concerns me is that who- ever supervised the animal waited longer than a week to bring it for care. “They left the dog with that rotting wound on his back for so long before doing something.” The dog owner alleged that Rufus had been “bitten” when he was surrendered to the Humane Society, and the animal’s wounds had pro- gressed to an alarming extent by the time he reached the vet. “The wound was pretty big,” said Dr. Popescu of the dog’s injuries. “It extended from the middle of his back all the way to the neck, and it had some patches on the head as well. It was very infected.” Dr. Popescu characterized Rufus as “pretty skinny” and “underweight,” and she said she couldn’t be certain how the wounds occurred. The De- partment of Agriculture, which is conducting an investigation, believes the wounds may have come from a chemical attempt to control external parasites. That is certainly a pos- sible cause of the injury, said Dr. Popescu, and if true, it would indicate that the dog- owner meant well but was “completely misguided.” This wound, because it encom- passes much of the dog’s body, is harder to diagnose than the typical ailment the vet sees on a daily basis. “On this dog, it’s very hard to say what caused it,” she said. “We’re assuming it was a burn wound from the po- sition on the body and the shape of it. It almost looks like it was a big splatter in the middle and some smaller patches extended on the out- side. That could be consistent with a burn wound. It could also be deriving from an ini- tial wound that got infected or it could also be from a chemical wound.” This is the second dog with burn injuries that the Humane Society has brought to Island Vets in the last three months. The last dog, Dora, has recovered from her injuries and is currently awaiting adoption to a new permanent home. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice made an arrest in Do- ra’s case but no charges have been filed, and the police are allowing the Department of Agriculture to lead the inves- tigation into Rufus.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS BRACKER WINS LAPTOP IN FINANCIAL SERVICES QUIZ A Layman E. Scott Sr. High School student is the winner a new HP laptop from Cayman Finance CEO Jude Scott. Matthew Giscombe was awarded the HP laptop for scoring 100 percent in a quiz on the financial services in- dustry during a Career Fair held in March. “Cayman Finance wishes to congratulate Matthew on getting all the answers on the quiz correct and being the recipient of the laptop,” Mr. Scott said. “We are pleased he was able to learn some new informa- tion about our financial ser- vices industry and its im- portance to the local and global economy.” According to Mr. Scott, Cayman Fi- nance strives to have a pres- ence at as many events like the Layman E. Scott Career Fair as possible. “Between those efforts and our own Student Edu- cation and Work Experience Programme, we are always working to keep our young people educated on the in- dustry,” he said. 50 years ago: Career opportunities in police force In the Aug. 9, 1967 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the fol- lowing article appeared: “Young Caymanian and Commonwealth male citizens, resident in the Cayman Islands, who are over 19 years of age, phys- ically fit, of good character and possessing a fair stan- dard of education are in- vited to apply to the Chief of Police for full informa- tion on the opportunities awaiting them in the Force. “The Police Force is cur- rently going through a pe- riod of expansion and im- provement as a result of which many benefits will be available. By being a member of a vital and re- spected organization, not only will one be serving his country in a very useful ca- pacity, but will as well be contributing, in no small measure, to a very impor- tant aspect of the devel- opment of these islands. Eligible candidates there- fore are urged to ben- efit now from the cur- rent policy of expansion and improvement. “Salary available to Con- stables range from a com- mencing point of £480 per annum to a maximum of £816 p.a. For direct entry to the rank of Cadet In- spector, the commencing salary is £780 p.a. and goes to a maximum of £888 p.a. Other benefits include pen- sionable service, house and other generous allowances.” In the same edition, a short article on Cayman Bracker Darwin Tibbetts appeared, featuring a pho- tograph of him and his wife on board S.S. Ore Convey. “Chief Officer Darwin Tibbetts is one of our three Cayman Brac seamen who have worked their way up in NBC Inc. to attain their Liberian Master’s Licence. “Mr. Tibbetts gained the privilege of taking his wife on a two-month cruise. Mrs. Selma joined the ship on June 17 in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, and has taken in lovely views of Ven- ezuela. The Tibbetts family are of Creek, Cayman Brac. They took up residence in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1961 for the benefit of schooling their three sons. “Denniston gained his GCE O Level and is em- ployed in the Draught- man’s Office, Public Works Department, Halfway Tree, while he attends evening school at CASTE. Garth and Kurt are home in Cayman Brac revelling in skin diving around the two islands.” Miss Teen contestants visit Cayman Brac Contestants in the upcoming Miss Teen Cayman pageant visited Cayman Brac earlier this month. Five of the six competitors flew to the Brac early Saturday, Aug. 5, accompanied by the reigning Miss Teen Liana DaCosta. They were met by bus driver Barry Morgan and tour guide Philip Smith, who took the teenagers on an exploration of the island. The tours were arranged through the District Administration and Min- istry of Tourism. “This is part of the contestants’ educational tour to get to know their communities and to prepare for their academic test,” organizers of the event said in a press release. “The contestants were surprised to learn they would be tested on their knowledge of the Cayman Islands and its history, but are excited as they participate in the gathering of information and listening to the older generation recount various de- tails of life in the Cayman Islands before ‘all this technology.’” Of the six contestants, only two could recall visiting Cayman Brac in the past. During their trip, the competitors stopped off at various historical and tourist sites. According to the release, they said the highlight of their trip was a visit to the Kirkconnell Commu- nity Care Centre, where they inter- acted with the elderly citizens who reside there. The contestants vowed to re- turn to visit them again after the pageant, which will be held at the Lions Community Centre in Grand Cayman on Friday, Aug. 26. Darwin and Selma Tibbetts aboard the S.S. Ore Convey in August 1967. Cayman Finance CEO Jude Scott, left, presents student Matthew Giscombe with a laptop outside Layman E. Scott Sr. High School. The Miss Teen Cayman contestants line up below the Bluff on Cayman Brac. From left, Arleny Connor, Ashley Bush, reigning Miss Teen Liana DaCosta, Layah Ebanks, Lian Ebanks and Thalia Naranjo. Missing from the photograph is Kevie-Ann Peirre.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16, 2017 *The Promotion Period will start on July 1, 2017 and end at midnight on September 15, 2017. During the Promotion Period Special Rates will apply to Scotia Plan Loans. Customers agree to be bound by the Bank’s operating processes and procedures, account operating terms and conditions and confidentiality requirements. The terms and conditions of the Scotia Plan Loan Summer Campaign can vary at any time, at Scotiabank’s discretion without giving any notice or reason. Further conditions apply. Subject to credit approval. ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. LIMITED-TIME OFFER ON UNSECURED LOANS UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15* Affordable rates and flexible terms mean that you can borrow what you need to do the things you want, with easy monthly payments. Now’s the time to get a Scotia Plan Loan.* #ThingsYouWant Apply today! Visit your nearest branch or go to ky.scotiabank.com/planloan Do the things you really want. Furnish her room Book a family cruiseSend her to school without insurance. Their mat- ters are still pending. The fifth suspect was tick- eted for driving without being qualified and using an unreg- istered vehicle. One of the five suspects is facing more serious charges in criminal court, so his Traffic Court matters are awaiting the outcome of the other cases. Police said last month that five of the confiscated bikes have been returned to their owners. “We cannot retain the defendant’s property indefi- nitely as a given case moves through the entire court pro- cess,” a statement from the RCIPS Traffic Unit read. “We have the ability to retain the property while the case is being investigated and the property is germane to those inquiries. Once those inqui- ries have completed, the prop- erty is returned on the defen- dant’s request.” RCIPS spokeswoman Jackie Carpenter said po- lice are storing the remainder of the seized bikes and said the department believes its enforcement strategies are leading to fewer illegal ve- hicles on the streets. She said the department has re- corded “substantially fewer” complaints about rowdy or non-street-legal motorbikes since December. residence in the islands. Caymanian status is not granted by birth in the islands, and nor can it be proved by a Cayman Islands passports, which are given to people after they obtain British Overseas Territories citizenship. Mr. David said the Cay- manian Status and Perma- nent Residency Board has re- cently started sending out letters to residence appli- cants, informing them of what is required to prove training claims. “What I presume has hap- pened is that the board [has] looked at a number of ap- plications and realized cer- tain things are deficient and therefore deferred them,” he said. “Now, because they are spelling out what are the prob- lems, the board [is] less likely to defer and more likely just to grant 0 points.” Through last week, the Im- migration Department and its associated board have de- ferred 42 residence applica- tions – about 30 percent of the total number officials have considered so far. Who is Caymanian? Caymanian status [a lo- cally recognized legal resident status similar to citizenship in an independent country] is not automatically conferred on someone as a result of their having been born in Cayman. Other factors that are consid- ered include the immigration status of a parent at the date of the person’s birth, the mar- ital status of the person’s par- ents and where the parents were “domiciled.” Local attorneys have ex- pressed concern that the con- fusion could lead to hundreds of residents, particularly younger Caymanians who know no other home, being denied rights and services available to other naturalized citizens of the territory, the at- torney said. The concern in- volving permanent residence applications is only a small example of the difficulties that can be created. It is actually possible for a young person who once had Caymanian status to “lose it” on their 18th birthday. A child of two Caymanian parents who immigrated to Cayman and who received Cayma- nian status after arriving here would usually be considered Caymanian “by entitlement.” According to the Immigra- tion Law, those individuals are expected to apply for con- tinuation of that status after reaching age 17, and pref- erably before they turn 18. If they fail to apply for con- tinuation of that status, they are “seemingly not Cayma- nian,” according to the Bar association’s analysis. A sec- tion of the Immigration Law allows those individuals to apply and receive that status up until age 24, but if they do not do so, legal prob- lems may ensue. Nicolas Joseph, a partner at the HSM Chambers law firm, has researched this issue for years. According to Mr. Joseph, the gap has re- sulted in a number of younger Caymanians thinking that they have maintained that status after reaching the age of majority, when in fact they have not. “It appears to me that nu- merous persons who were Caymanian by Entitlement [receiving Caymanian status prior to reaching age 18, via their parents] may not be ap- plying for continuation as prescribed/required by law,” Mr. Joseph said in a sepa- rate analysis he wrote to the newspaper in November 2015. “We have for some years been seeing an increase of such persons who seem to be here with no express im- migration permission, and may have fallen through the cracks. It may be that a sub- stantial number of status grants will be required to re- solve the issue.” has previously asked for ded- icated officers for tourism zones throughout the Cayman Islands, so were pleased to learn that community po- licing will soon be reinstated and with several aspects of improvements in the longer term,” a statement from the association on Monday reads. “Technological enhancements are anticipated that will en- able better communications and information sharing amongst pertinent stake- holders and allow RCIPS con- tacts to be accessible.” Of crucial importance, Ms. Leacock-Broderick said, is the time it takes police to respond to incidents in tourism zones. “We would like to see better response times to all 911 calls, as well as im- proved communication on tourist-related incidents and emergencies, whether on land or in surrounding wa- ters,” she said. Mr. Byrne announced his plans last month at a commu- nity meeting in George Town. New police hires are pro- posed to expand the neigh- borhood police force to 28 full-time constables, two su- pervising sergeants and an inspector. That represents about 9 percent of the po- lice officers in the service, not including volunteer spe- cial constables. “We expect to see an in- crease in resources … a ded- icated, ring-fenced commit- ment to community policing to avoid … abstraction of police officers for other pur- poses,” Mr. Byrne told about 25 George Town residents. Premier Alden McLaughlin promised government would provide funding for the addi- tional community officers in the upcoming budget, which begins on Jan. 1, 2018. “I am anxiously awaiting the commissioner’s plan, but I promise him that we are going to do whatever … we need to do to ensure that he has the resources to be able to have dedicated beat of- ficers in the key communi- ties across Cayman where there are perennial prob- lems,” Mr. McLaughlin said at the meeting. “We can look, as a country, to a significant in- crease in the money that is spent on policing, and I hope that I don’t hear the usual … complaints from the usual quarters about how much the government is spending,” the premier said. “I don’t believe any issue is more critical now than na- tional security.” Mr. Byrne said those of- ficers will be assigned to specific neighborhoods, in- cluding high-traffic tourist areas like Seven Mile Beach and Rum Point. RCIPS Su- perintendent Robert Graham said those officers will “walk the beat” on a regular basis to present a highly visible police presence and to get to know the surrounding neighborhood. While dedicating officers to that task is a good idea, Mr. Graham said, there’s nothing to stop regular pa- trol officers from developing relationships in the neighbor- hoods they patrol. “A lot of police officers tend to spend too much time driving from A to B,” he said. “I still would expect the of- ficers that we have to be spending time on foot patrol … I’m talking about having a purposeful conversation.” Caymanian status troubles affect PR applicants CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Byrne: Community policing will reduce tourism crime Commissioner Derek Byrne CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Dirt bikers cause havoc at Rum Point “There is … an ongoing problem, and this will continue, about providing evidence that a person is Caymanian.” ALASTAIR DAVID, HSM Chambers attorney CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “One of the riders rode onto the beach, where it is reported that he nearly struck people and children on the sand.” RCIPS STATEMENT ON MOTORBIKERSThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Zimbabwe’s first lady accused of assault The wife of Zimbabwe’s president has been accused of assaulting a young woman at an upscale hotel in South Africa. It was not immediately clear where Grace Mugabe was; she did not show up for court on Tuesday. Korean leaders, US open door to diplomacy in nuclear crisis Gates makes largest donation since 2000 with $5B gift Bill Gates made his largest single gift since the turn of the century, giving away Microsoft shares that accounted for 5 percent of his fortune, the world’s biggest. The billionaire donated 64 million of the software mak- er’s shares to the Bill & Me- linda Gates Foundation on June 6, according to Securi- ties and Exchange Commis- sion filings released Monday. The shares were valued at $4.6 billion at the time. It’s the largest gift of Mi- crosoft shares that Gates, 61, has made since 2000. He gave away $16 billion worth of the stock in 1999 and $5.1 billion a year later, according to cal- culations by Bloomberg. “It’s a change in how he distributes that asset,” said Ben Silverman, research di- rector at InsiderScore, noting that Gates has been reducing his stake methodically for years through share sales to fund his foundation. Spokesmen for Gates and Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment. Bill and Melinda Gates have given away about $35 billion of stock and cash since 1994, based on the value of the shares at the time of gifts, according to a review of Gates Founda- tion tax returns, annual re- ports and regulatory filings. Gates created the Giving Pledge in 2010 with billion- aire investor Warren Buffett, and they have been joined by 168 others who promised to give the majority of their wealth to charity. Gates probably has di- rected more than 700 mil- lion shares of Microsoft into the foundation, ad- justing for stock splits, and he would be about $50 bil- lion richer today had he kept them. The June gift represents 38 percent of his holding in the company and is the latest in a long line of Microsoft share disposals that have whittled his stake from 24 percent in 1996 to 1.3 percent now. Gates remains the richest person on earth after the donation with a fortune the Bloomberg Billionaires Index valued at $86 bil- lion as of Tuesday morning in New York. His donation once again puts Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos close to the top spot, with a net worth of $84.5 billion. Bezos, 53, whose fortune has surged 30 percent since Jan. 1, briefly leapfrogged Gates last month to become the world’s richest person on an intraday basis. © 2017, Bloomberg SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea’s military on Tuesday presented leader Kim Jong Un with plans to launch missiles into waters near Guam and “wring the windpipes of the Yankees,” even as both Koreas and the United States signaled their willingness to avert a deepening crisis, with each suggesting a path toward negotiations. The tentative interest in diplomacy follows unusually combative threats between President Donald Trump and North Korea amid wor- ries Pyongyang is nearing its long-sought goal of being able to send a nuclear missile to the U.S. mainland. Next week’s start of U.S.-South Ko- rean military exercises that enrage the North each year could make diplomacy even more difficult. During an inspection of the North Korean ar- my’s Strategic Forces, which handles the missile pro- gram, Kim praised the mili- tary for drawing up a “close and careful plan” and said he would watch the “foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees” a little more before deciding whether to order the missile test, the state- run Korean Central News Agency said. Kim appeared in photos sitting at a table with a large map marked by a straight line between what appeared to be northeastern North Korea and Guam, and passing over Japan – appar- ently showing the missiles’ flight route. The missile plans were previously announced. Kim said North Korea would conduct the launches if the “Yankees persist in their ex- tremely dangerous reckless actions on the Korean Penin- sula and its vicinity,” warning the United States to “think reasonably and judge prop- erly” to avoid shaming itself, the news agency said. The Trump administration had no immediate comments on Kim’s declaration. “We continue to be inter- ested in trying to find a way to get to dialogue, but that’s up to him,” U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters in Washington on Tuesday. Lobbing missiles toward Guam, a major U.S. military hub in the Pacific, would be deeply provocative from the U.S. perspective. A miscalcu- lation on either side could lead to military confronta- tion. On Monday, U.S. De- fense Secretary James Mattis said Washington would take out any such missile seen to be heading for American soil, warning that such a North Ko- rean attack could mean war. Kim’s conditional tone, however, hinted the fric- tion could ease if the U.S. of- fered a gesture that Pyong- yang sees as a step back from “extremely dangerous reck- less actions.” That could refer to the U.S.-South Korean military drills set to begin Aug. 21, which the North claims are rehearsals for invasion. It also could mean the B-1B bombers that the U.S. occasionally flies over the Korean Peninsula as a show of force. South Korea weighs in South Korean President Moon Jae-in, meanwhile, a liberal who favors diplomacy, urged North Korea to stop provocations and to commit to talks over its nuclear weapons program. Moon, in a televised speech Tuesday on the an- niversary of World War II’s end and the Korean Penin- sula’s liberation from Japa- nese colonial rule, said Seoul and Washington agree that the nuclear standoff should “absolutely be solved peace- fully.” He said no U.S. military action on the Korean Penin- sula could be taken without Seoul’s consent. Moon said the North could spur talks by stopping nuclear and missile tests. “Our government will put everything on the line to pre- vent another war on the Ko- rean Peninsula,” Moon said. “Regardless of whatever twist and turns we could ex- perience, the North Korean nuclear program should ab- solutely be solved peacefully, and the (South Korean) gov- ernment and the U.S. govern- ment don’t have a different position on this.” The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ma- rine Corps Gen. Joseph Dun- ford, on Monday met with se- nior South Korean military and political officials and the local media, seeking to ease anxiety while showing his willingness to back Trump’s warnings if need be. The U.S. wants to peace- fully resolve tensions with North Korea, but Washington is also ready to use the “full range” of its military capa- bilities, Dunford said. He is also visiting Japan and China after a week in which Trump declared the U.S. mili- tary “locked and loaded” and said he was ready to unleash “fire and fury” if North Korea continued to threaten the United States. North Korea’s “Guam plan” North Korea’s military said last week it would fi- nalize the plan to fire four ballistic missiles near Guam, which is about 2,000 miles from Pyongyang. It would be a test of the Hwasong-12, a new missile the country flight-tested for the first time in May. The liquid-fuel mis- sile is designed to be fired from road mobile launchers and has been described by North Korea as built for at- tacking Alaska and Hawaii. The North followed the May launch with two flight tests of its Hwasong-14 in- tercontinental ballistic mis- sile last month. Analysts said that a wide swath of the con- tinental United States, in- cluding Los Angeles and Chicago, could be within reach of those missiles, once they’re perfected. The North’s latest report said Kim ordered his military to be prepared to launch the missiles toward Guam at any time. Kim said if the “planned fire of power demonstration” is carried out because of U.S. recklessness, it will be “the most delightful historic mo- ment when the Hwasong ar- tillerymen will wring the windpipes of the Yankees and point daggers at their necks.” Even with North Korea and the Trump administra- tion exchanging tough talk, back-channel diplomatic con- tacts between the countries have continued, The Associ- ated Press reported. A foreign ministry spokesman for the North on Tuesday denied the country is currently discussing the detainees with Washington. North Korea also is angry about new United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile development. Bill and Melinda Gates have given away about $35 billion of stock and cash since 1994, based on the value of the shares at the time of gifts. Bill Gates This image made from broadcast video on Aug. 14 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un receiving a military briefing in Pyongyang. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16, 2017 US vet returns dead Japanese soldier’s flag 13 KILLED WHEN HUGE TREE CRASHES DOWN ON PORTUGUESE FESTIVAL LISBON, Portugal (AP) – A huge oak tree crashed down on a popular religious festival on the Portuguese island of Ma- deira on Tuesday, killing 13 people and injuring 49 others, officials said. The tree fell while a large crowd was gathered near the island’s capital of Funchal as part of the Nossa Senhora do Monte festival. It’s Madei- ra’s biggest annual festivity and was being held Monday and Tuesday, drawing large crowds to a church on Funchal’s outskirts. The tree was a towering oak, which local media re- ports said was more than 200 years old. Regional authori- ties say they are investigating what caused it to come down. Regional health chief Pedro Ramos said seven people had serious inju- ries. Of the fatalities, 10 people died at the site of the accident. A child died en route to a local hospital, where a woman later died. It was not clear where the last victim died. RTP public television showed images of emergency workers gathered under a group of tall trees on the At- lantic island. Ambulances were shown pulling away from the site while workers wielding chain saws cut away limbs from an enormous tree on the ground. More televised images showed some people at- tending to the injured. Others appeared visibly shaken. Miguel Albuquerque, the head of the regional govern- ment of Madeira, declared three days of mourning for the victims. Prime Minister Antonio Costa shared his condolences on his Twitter account. “My thoughts are with the family and friends of the vic- tims,” he said. Costa said the central government made contact with local authorities on the island to offer support. HIGASHISHIRAKAWA, Japan (AP) – Tatsuya Yasue buried his face into the flag and smelled it. Then he held the 93-year-old hands that brought this treasure home, and kissed them. Marvin Strombo, who had taken the calligraphy-covered Japanese flag from a dead soldier at a World War II is- land battlefield 73 years ago, returned it Tuesday to the family of Sadao Yasue. They had never gotten his body or – until that moment – any- thing else of his. Yasue and Tatsuya’s sister Sayoko Furuta, 93, sitting in her wheelchair, covered her face with both hands and wept silently as Tat- suya placed the flag on her lap. Strombo reached out and gently rubbed her shoulder. “I was so happy that I re- turned the flag,” Strombo said. “I can see how much the flag meant to her. That almost made me cry … It meant ev- erything in the world to her.” The flag’s white background is filled with signatures of 180 friends and neighbors in this tea-growing mountain village of Higashishirakawa, wishing Yasue’s safe return. The signa- tures helped Strombo find its rightful owners. “Good luck forever at the battlefield,” a message on it reads. Looking at the names and their handwriting, Tat- suya Yasue clearly recalls their faces and friendship with his brother. The smell of the flag im- mediately brought back childhood memories. “It smelled like my good old big brother, and it smelled like our mother’s home cooking we ate together,” Tatsuya Yasue said. “The flag will be our treasure.” The return of the flag brings closure, the 89-year- old farmer and younger brother of Sadao Yasue told The Associated Press at his 400-year-old house on Monday. “It’s like the war has finally ended and my brother can come out of limbo.” Tatsuya Yasue last saw his older brother alive the day before he left for the South Pacific in 1943. He and two siblings had a small send-off picnic for the oldest brother outside his military unit over sushi and Japanese sweet mochi. At the end of the meeting, his brother whis- pered to Tatsuya, asking him to take good care of their parents, as he would be sent to the Pacific islands, harsh battlegrounds where chances of survival were low. A year later, Japanese authorities sent the family a wooden box with a few stones at the bottom – a sub- stitute for his body. They knew no details of Sadeo’s death until months after the war ended, when they were told he died somewhere in the Mariana Islands presum- ably on July 18, 1944, the day Saipan fell, at age 25. “That’s all we were told about my brother. We never knew exactly when, where or how he died,” he said. The family had wondered whether he might have died at sea. About 20 years ago, Tatsuya Yasue visited Saipan with his younger brother, trying to imagine what their older brother might have gone through. So Strombo was able to give Yasue’s family not just a flag, but also some answers. He said he found Sadao Yasue’s body on the out- skirts of Garapan, a village in Saipan, when he got lost and ended up near the Jap- anese frontline. He told Ya- sue’s siblings their brother likely died of a concussion from a mortar round. He told them that Sadao was lying on the ground on his left side, looking peacefully as if he was sleeping and without severe wounds. And there is one more thing Strombo de- livered: a little hope that Ya- sue’s remains might one day be recovered, given the de- tails about where he found the body. The remains of nearly half of the 2.4 mil- lion Japanese war dead over- seas have yet to be found. It’s a pressing issue as the be- reaved families reach old age and memories fade. Allied troops frequently took the flags from the bodies of their enemies as souve- nirs, as Japanese flags were quite popular and fetched good prices when auctioned, Strombo said. But to the Jap- anese bereaved families, they have a much deeper meaning, especially those like Yasue, who never learned how their loved ones died and never received remains. The Japa- nese government has asked auction sites to stop trading wartime signed flags. Strombo said Tuesday that he originally wanted the flag as a souvenir from the war, but he felt guilty taking it, so he never sold it and vowed to one day return it. He had the flag hung in a glass-fronted gun cabinet in his home in Montana for years, a topic of conversation for visitors. He was in the battles of Saipan, Tarawa and Tinian, which chipped away at Japan’s control of islands in the Pacific and paved the way for U.S. victory. In 2012, he was connected to the Obon Society, an Or- egon-based nonprofit that helps U.S. veterans and their descendants return Japanese flags to the families of fallen soldiers. The group’s research traced it to the village of 2,300 people in central Japan by analyzing family names. Tuesday’s handover meant a closure for Strombo too. “It means so much to me and the family to get the flag back and move on,” he said. U.S. veteran Marvin Strombo, center, returns a flag to Tatsuya Yasue during a ceremony in Higashishirakawa, Japan on Tuesday. The flag with autographed messages was owned by his brother Sadao Yasue, who was killed in the Pacific during World Work II. - PHOTO: AP An ambulance attends the scene after a tree fell on a large crowd gathered at a traditional religious festival in the outskirts of Funchal, Madeira island, Portugal. - PHOTO: AP US targets Islamic State in religious freedom summary Secretary of State Rex Tillerson highlighted abuses committed by the Islamic State group and Iran as he released Tuesday a new survey of reli- gious rights and freedoms around the world. The first global report on the status of religious free- doms issued under Presi- dent Donald Trump is crit- ical of U.S. adversaries and allies alike. Tillerson called out some important part- ners, such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain and Paki- stan, in brief remarks intro- ducing the annual report, which has been mandated by Congress since 1998. He devoted the most attention to the Islamic State, however, accusing the group of targeted, re- ligiously motivated atroci- ties against Christians and minority sects. The Obama administration had previ- ously accused the Islamic State of genocide, and Til- lerson endorsed that po- sition Tuesday. “ISIS has and continues to target members of mul- tiple religions and ethnici- ties for rape, kidnapping, enslavement and death,” Til- lerson said, using one ac- ronym for the group that holds territory in Syria and Iraq. “ISIS is clearly respon- sible for genocide against Yazidis, Christians and Shia Muslims,” as well as ethnic cleansing. “The protection of these groups and others who are targets of vio- lent extremism remains a human rights priority for the Trump administra- tion,” he added. Criticizing Iran, Til- lerson pointed to persecu- tion of religious minori- ties and said that country had carried out execu- tions last year under “vague apostasy laws.” The new report covers 2016, before the Trump presidency, but conclu- sions and decisions about what to highlight were reached under the current administration. “Religious persecution and intolerance remains far too prevalent. Almost 80 percent of the global popu- lation live with restrictions on or hostilities to limit their freedom of religion,” Tillerson said. “Where reli- gious freedom is not pro- tected, we know that insta- bility, human rights abuses, and violent extremism have a greater opportunity to take root.” Human rights groups and some political conser- vatives were waiting for the report, hoping it would pro- vide clues to the new ad- ministration’s priorities. The survey is of partic- ular interest to evangelical Christians, who were an important part of Trump’s political base. The re- port also comes under an administration with an “America First” mandate that has sought to tem- porarily ban travel from several Muslim-majority nations and temporarily re- strict U.S. acceptance of ref- ugees, many of whom claim to be fleeing religious per- secution at home. The report singles out Saudi Arabia, the first for- eign country Trump visited as president, as a country of “special concern” for its religious restrictions. The designation can be a first step to U.S. sanctions, al- though past administra- tions have waived that for Saudi Arabia, a key partner in counterterrorism. © 2017, The Washington PostNext >