High of 79 Low of 70 Rough with wave heights of 5 to 7 feet especially along the west, north and east coasts. A small craft warning is in effect. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 AS CAYMAN COMES TOGETHER FOR A ‘COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS’ SPORTS | PAGE 13 TORONTO BEATS SEATTLE TO WIN FIRST MLS TITLE ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 2017 SEVEN MILE BEACH WATERFRONT WALKERS ROAD TOWN CENTRE PLAZA RED BAY BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Workers from non-English speaking countries are facing a delay of up to several weeks in some cases before they can take a required English lan- guage test to obtain a Cayman Islands work permit. The tests are required as a condition of a work permit for any prospective worker who does not speak English as their first language. At present, Acting Chief Immigration Of- ficer Bruce Smith said there are two immigration staffers that oversee the process and the depart- ment is seeking to allocate additional resources for the testing. “We appreciate the implication for employers and, for this reason, we are actively working to in- crease resources and reduce delays,” Mr. Smith said Friday in a statement sent to the Cayman Compass. The Immigration Department administers be- tween 48 and 64 English language tests each week, but demand is increasing as Cayman’s economy has grown. “We have seen an increase in the overall number of work permits, along with an increase in compliance checks for persons renewing work permits,” Mr. Smith said. Overall processing time for work permits has been averaging between six to 12 weeks, according to private sector firms that assist businesses with work permit applications. The Immigration De- partment’s stated goal is to have a permit “turned around” in 14 days once an application is received. According to figures given to the Cayman Com- pass in the fall, a total of 18,847 work permit ap- plications had been submitted to the department between Jan. 1 and July 31. The Immigration De- partment reported that roughly the same number of permit applications were processed for all of 2016. In addition, Cayman has generally increased the number of workers here from countries where English is not the first language spoken. KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialted.com A cold front from the southern United States lingered over the northern Carib- bean, bringing choppy waves and sending Cayman Islands temperatures to some of the lowest experienced all year. Just under two inches of rain fell on Grand Cayman from 7 a.m. Saturday through 7 a.m. Sunday, according to mea- surements taken from the Owen Roberts In- ternational Airport weather station. The weekend rainfall brings Grand Cayman half an inch shy of December’s 30- year average of 2.79 inches, a Cayman Islands National Weather Service forecaster said. The weather disrupted weekend festivi- ties, forcing the rescheduling of Saturday’s YMCA family fun day, among other events. The cold front took temperatures down to the low to mid 70s for much of the weekend. The Weather Underground web- site forecast a low of 73 degrees Fahrenheit Sunday night with northern winds reaching up to 30 miles per hour. The National Weather Service expected the strong northerly winds to begin dissi- pating Sunday evening, but for temperatures to remain at or below 80 degrees through Thursday – the longest stretch of cool weather for Cayman since January. Wave heights were forecast to reach 6 to 8 feet Sunday night with higher swells ex- pected along the west, north and east coasts. While temperatures were forecast to rise to the upper 70s Monday, rough seas were expected to continue with wave heights up to 9 feet and large swells along much of the coast. First glimpse of new airport WORKERS WAITING WEEKS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING FIELD RENAMED TO RECOGNIZE RONALD FORBES Well-wishers from across Grand Cayman gathered in North Side to honor three-time Olympic hurdler and elite ath- lete Ronald Forbes on Saturday night. De- spite heavy rains, residents unveiled a new sign for the district’s play field that bears the track star’s name. For more on this story, see page 7. Cold front brings rain, cool breezes JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Airport bosses unveiled the first element of the facility’s $55 million upgrade Friday, and then targeted completing the job by next Christmas. Until now much of the work taking place on Owen Roberts International Airport has been going on behind the scenes. That changed last week, with the opening of a new wing to the check-in area. Southwest Airlines, British Airways and American Air- lines were the first to move into their new home. Passengers pass under an eye-catching cantilevered arch to enter the new building, which adjoins the old check-in area. Albert Anderson, CEO of the Cayman Islands Airports PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » Cayman Islands Airports Authority Business Development and Marketing Manager Rhonda Verhoeven, CEO Albert Anderson and Chief Commercial Officer Bianca Moore-Downey stroll through the new passengers’ check-in area on Friday. - PHOTOS: JAMES WHITTAKER Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell says the $55 million project is on time and under budget.2 REGIONAL NEWS CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Venezuelans were set to choose hundreds of mayors on Sunday in elections pitting candidates backed by President Nicolas Maduro against a fractured opposition still bruised by a poor showing in recent gu- bernatorial voting. The ballots for local leaders in 335 city halls across the oil-rich nation are the final national elections before pres- idential elections next year in which Maduro is expected to run. Voting takes place against a backdrop of soaring inflation, shortages of food and medicine, and charges that Maduro’s gov- ernment has undermined Venezuela’s de- mocracy by imprisoning dissidents and usurping the powers of the opposition- controlled Congress. The economic and political crises have caused the socialist president’s popularity to plunge but the opposition has largely been unable to take advantage. Three of the four biggest opposition parties are boycotting Sunday’s mayoral races, crying foul after steep losses in elec- tions of the country’s governors in October. The opposition had hoped to ride Maduro’s unpopularity to gains but in- stead suffered a setback when its candi- dates won just five of 23 gubernatorial races. Opposition leaders said govern- ment tampering slanted the outcomes. The anti-government coalition’s divide widened when four of its winning candi- dates took their oath before the pro-gov- ernment constitutional assembly The opposition’s dividing line falls be- tween those that do not want to validate what they call a rigged electoral system and others who say they are running in protest of an undemocratic process. Political analysts say they doubt the opposition can rally behind a challenger to Maduro next year. Sunday’s voting ends a turbulent year for Venezuela, a country marred by deadly street protests that left 120 dead and eco- nomic sanctions by the Trump adminis- tration that come as it seeks to refinance massive international debt. The country holds the world’s largest oil reserves, but it has been battered by the fall in crude prices and low production. MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Daily Matinees Every Day • $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 • Additional charges will apply per 3D/VIP ticket requested 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. - MONDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) THE STAR (PG) 12:20 I 2:40 I 5:00 I 7:20 I 9:40 COCO 3D (PG) 12:55 2D I 3:40 I 6:35 2D I 9:15 WONDER (PG) 1:05 I 4:00 JUSTICE LEAGUE 3D (PG13) 12:40 2D I 3:55 2D VIP I 6:40 2D I 9:40 DARKEST HOUR (PG13) 1:00 VIP I 3:35 I 6:40 VIP I 9:40 VIP DADDY’S HOME 2 (PG13) 1:40 I 4:20 I 7:00 I 9:40 TIL DEATH US DO PART (PG13) 7:15 I 10:00 Honduran opposition challenges election results at deadline TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – The challenger in Honduras’ still unresolved presidential election has filed a challenge to the Nov. 26 contest that seeks to annul the results and requests a recount. Salvador Nasralla, can- didate of the opposition al- liance, and his campaign team handed over the pa- perwork with just minutes to spare before a midnight deadline Friday. The Honduran electoral court’s original tally put President Juan Orlando Her- nandez ahead by more than 52,000 votes or 1.6 percent. But in an electoral process plagued by problems that dragged on for days, both candidates declared them- selves winner. International observers had urged the opposi- tion to challenge the elec- tion through existing chan- nels. The opposition alliance had called for a total recount in recent days, but said it would not accept any role for the electoral court, which it said was biased and lacked credibility for its ties to the government. “We’re sure it’s not going to stick,” Nasralla said of the challenge. “It is going serve for us as a reference point to be able to travel abroad and say that we exhausted the local process.” Nearly two weeks after the election, the way out of the standoff remains un- clear. The electoral court is in the midst of a recount of the votes in nearly 5,000 ballot boxes that it says could take several more days. The boxes, more than a third of the total, held votes that were not trans- mitted to election officials on the night of the elec- tion. The court has said that they otherwise present no inconsistencies. The electoral court has 30 days from the election to declare a winner, potentially placing an announcement square in the holiday season. A local bar association also filed a challenge to annul the election on the grounds that Honduras’ constitution does not allow re-election. The country’s supreme court had earlier cleared the way for Hernandez to run. After several days under a curfew called in the wake of some looting and prop- erty destruction, the gov- ernment allowed people to move about freely in most of the country, including the capital Friday. More dem- onstrations were expected through the weekend. “It is going serve for us as a reference point to be able to travel abroad and say that we exhausted the local process.” ALVADOR NASRALLA, opposition candidate Anti-government demonstrators march in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. International observers urged Honduras’ opposition to file a formal complaint about the country’s troubled Nov. 26 election. - PHOTO: AP MIAMI (AP) – A myste- rious epidemic continues to sweep South Florida’s reefs, transforming corals into lifeless skeletons and threatening undersea struc- tures that support tourism, provide hurricane protec- tion and serve as homes to a vast range of marine life. Called white plague, white blotch and other names, depending on the pattern of damaged or de- stroyed tissue, the disease has infected more than 20 South Florida coral spe- cies from the Middle Keys through Palm Beach County, according to the Florida Department of En- vironmental Protection. On the reefs running from mid-Miami-Dade County through Martin County, scientists have observed a 35 percent loss of reef- building coral. The Sun-Sentinel re- ports that on the reefs run- ning from mid-Miami-Dade County through Martin County, scientists have ob- served a 35 percent loss of reef-building coral. “The reef is in a state of emergency,” said Jennifer Stein, South Florida marine conservation coordinator for The Nature Conservancy. “It needs a lot of attention, a lot of research, a lot of focus, especially with this disease.” The disease arose during a worldwide, three-year coral catastrophe called bleaching, in which unusually warm ocean water led many corals to expel the piece of algae that provided them with color and gave them a source of nutrition through pho- tosynthesis. Although coral can recover from bleaching, the ordeal weakens them and makes them vulnerable to disease. Particularly hard hit was Australia’s famed Great Barrier Reef. Corals are tiny animals that live inside skeletons they construct from minerals drawn from seawater. Gen- erations of these skeletons form coral reefs, rocky struc- tures built up over centuries, with a thin layer of living coral tissue on the surface. Despite occupying only a tiny fraction of the foot- print of the world’s oceans, coral reefs provide hab- itat for about a quarter of the world’s marine spe- cies. South Florida’s reefs, the only near-shore reefs in the continental United States, draw thousands of visitors for fishing, diving and snorkeling and provide homes to fish, crabs, lob- sters, sponges, sea turtles and other creatures. Since appearing in South Florida in late 2014, as corals were weakened by bleaching, the epidemic has spread quickly. A 35 percent loss of stony coral has taken place off the South Florida coast north of the Keys, judging from the losses seen at sites monitored by Nova Southeastern Univer- sity, said David Gilliam, as- sistant professor of marine and environmental science at the university’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography. Mysterious epidemic plagues South Florida’s coral reefs VENEZUELA’S MAYORAL ELECTIONS REVEAL OPPOSITION TURMOIL Supporters of an independent candidate rally at el Hatillo municipality in Caracas, Dec. 7. Venezuela’s battered political opposition headed into mayoral elections Sunday following a bruising defeat in recent gubernatorial races. - PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 2017 OR Grand Prize US$2,000 Second Prize US$1,000 #MyHoliday † Conditions apply. Subject to credit approval. @ Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. Apply today at your nearest branch and enjoy: Flexible terms • Affordable payments • Any purpose Go to ky.scotiabank.com/myholiday for contest details. Hurry! Contest ends January 15, 2018. Get a Scotia Plan Loan for the holidays and you could win!† Crown sums up nightclub assault/shooting case Three defendants choose not to give evidence CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Crown’s case against four people was summed up on Friday by Deputy Di- rector of Public Prosecu- tions Patrick Moran, who de- scribed events in which two men were assaulted and shots were fired outside a West Bay Road premises. Daniel Alexander Bennett and Carlney Campbell were assaulted. A bullet fired at Mr. Bennett missed him, but a bullet fired at Mr. Campbell struck him in the shoulder. The incident occurred on the night of Feb. 3-4 in the vi- cinity of Fete Night Club. As a result, Tashika Mothen is charged with making a threat to kill. With her husband, Malik Mothen, she is charged with assault causing actual bodily harm to Mr. Bennett as well as attempting to cause his death, with an alternative charge of attempting to do him grievous bodily harm with intent to do so. Malik Mothen on his own is charged possession of an unlicensed firearm and as- sault causing actual bodily harm to Mr. Bennett. The Mothens with Kash- wayne Hewitt are charged with attempting to cause the death of Mr. Campbell, and causing him grievous bodily harm with intent. Daniella Tibbetts is charged, together with Hewitt, of having a firearm in their possession on Feb. 10 in West Bay. Mr. Moran reminded the jury of five men and two women that the firearm found in West Bay was the same firearm used in the shooting six days earlier, and Hewitt had pleaded guilty to its possession. After Mr. Moran had closed his case on Nov. 28, there were two days of legal discussions in the absence of the jury. On Dec. 1, Jus- tice Roger Chapple told ju- rors he had decided that there was no case for a fifth defen- dant to answer. That was Le- shawn Forrester, charged with causing grievous bodily harm to Mr. Campbell. The judge di- rected the jury to return a not guilty verdict and this defen- dant left the dock. The other defendants then had the opportunity to present their cases. Only Tashika Mothen chose to give evidence. In his summing up, Mr. Moran said she was “right at the center of this case.” Tashika Mothen had been shot in February 2016 in the vicinity of Jah T’s restau- rant near McField Square in George Town, where people tended to congregate on weekend nights. On the night Mr. Bennett and Mr. Campbell were as- saulted and shot at, Tashika and Mr. Bennett exchanged remarks outside the club. Both men said Tashika told Mr. Bennett that even if he did not shoot her, his friend did, and she had a firearm waiting for him. At some point, Malik Mothen walked away. Tashika knew he was not leaving, Mr. Moran said – if she thought he was leaving she would have gone with him, but she stayed. And she did not want Mr. Bennett to leave before her husband got back. “Why on earth did she stay there … unless she wanted to draw Daniel Bennett into some- thing?” he asked. He said Malik Mothen had returned from the car park with something in his hand. Mr. Campbell said he saw a gun in Malik Mothen’s hand. He said he put his own hands up and Malik pistol-whipped him. Mr. Campbell said he walked away, not wanting Malik to think he was going for a weapon. He caught a glimpse of Mr. Bennett “get- ting the same treatment” he had received. Then a shot rang out. He ran and tripped. When he tried to get up he was punched back down by Malik. Others attacked him, but he could not say who was doing the kicking and punching. He was shot after that. Mr. Moran posed the ques- tion – If Mr. Campbell had wanted to implicate Malik Mothen in the shooting, why would he say that Malik no longer had the gun in his hand when he was shot – that he saw the gun in the hand of another man? He suggested there was only one explanation: that Malik Mothen had handed the gun to Kashwayne Hewitt. Defense attorneys had sug- gested the two victims col- luded in their accounts, espe- cially because Mr. Bennett did not give his until a week after. “If these two witnesses had put their heads together to get their stories straight, you might think they would have done a better job,” Mr. Moran told the jurors. Mr. Bennett did not men- tion Mr. Campbell getting pistol-whipped. He did not remember being hit himself – just ducking and running when he heard the first shot. The defendants’ interviews with police had been read as part of the Crown’s case. Hewitt had given three inter- views. In the last one, he said that after Malik Mothen had shot Mr. Campbell, he (Hewitt) had managed to disarm him because he did not want Mr. Campbell to get shot again. Malik had said he as- saulted both men with a knuckle duster because he was intimidated and in fear because he had heard that Mr. Bennett might have a gun. The allegation against Tib- betts was that she had let Hewitt hide the gun at her house. If that was right, she was in possession, Mr. Moran said. If you have knowledge and the ability to exercise control over something, you are in possession of it, he ex- plained. The Crown’s case was that she knew the gun was in the house and chose to do nothing about it. Closing addresses by de- fense attorneys were expected to continue on Monday. “If these two [Crown] witnesses had put their heads together to get their stories straight, you might think they would have done a better job.” PATRICK MORAN, prosecutor Condor Road getting back into shape Work commenced Sat- urday to bring Bodden Town’s Condor Road back into condition, the National Roads Authority announced. Island Paving will be working through Dec. 15 on behalf of the Water Authority to reinstate the road, where pipeline work was completed earlier this year. Motorists are advised to take care on the road while work is being completed be- tween the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. People can contact the NRA about the project by calling 946-7780 or emailing nra@nra.ky.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS The North Pole may be nearly 5,000 miles away, but “Santa” has managed to recruit an impressive number of helpers to fill our three little islands with beneficence and Christmas cheer. Each year finds us more grateful for and impressed by the legions of groups and individuals who devote significant time, money and resources to making the holidays bright for all of Cayman. Their generosity and giving spirit create a palpable feeling of community – a seasonal uptick in the old song’s wish for “peace on earth, goodwill to men.” You’ll find it in the smell of bake-sale cookies and sticky, minty candy canes; in the harmonies of a dozen Christmas concerts; in the twinkle of a million colored lights. Indeed, there is such an abundance that it is almost too much to take in: From the whimsical drama in the Playhouse Family Christmas to the resonant voices of the National and Cayman Youth Choirs. From the imaginative displays in store windows and roundabouts to the fantastic scenes created by the Bodden sisters on South Church Street and by the Crighton family at their home on Shamrock Road in Spotts – and all the decorations, both ambitious and understated, to be found in every area in between. There are the majestic decorated evergreens in downtown George Town and Camana Bay. The bazaars and bake sales hosted by philanthropic groups such as the Pink Ladies, and by school and church com- munities. There are Christmas markets and craft fairs throughout the island, and special events such as the Artisans’ Fair at the National Gallery. There are a host of road races to get our blood pumping, and concerts, recitals and programs to inspire reflection on the season. There are toy drives, food drives, and philanthropic efforts to make sure that no one goes without. (It is not too late to donate to these worthy causes, by the way.) None of these would be possible without the immeasurable contributions of hundreds of our neigh- bors, teachers, coworkers and friends – whose only reward are the smiles of children, the gratitude of grown-ups and the satisfaction of knowing they are giving a special gift to all of Cayman. So let’s recognize all the organizers, donors, sponsors and volunteers who bring such wonder and add a bit of magic to the season. Coming together as a community is more than a diversion – more than a pleasant way to pass the time. It builds harmony, cohesion and resilience. It makes Cayman stronger, kinder – a better place to live. And importantly, it teaches our children (and reminds the rest of us) that although we hail from more than 120 different nations and cultures and Christmas customs, we are more than a random col- lection of strangers. Indeed, we may sometimes have our differences, but during the joyous holiday season, those differences somehow seem less divisive. We think that is because, in the most important ways, we are all the same. As Cayman comes together for a ‘community Christmas’ Preparing for future hurricane seasons THE MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL BOARD If we are truly a resilient county, why do we get so rat- tled by hurricane season? We get brushed by a storm and we lose our power, phones and cable. Darkness falls for days. Miami-Dade Commis- sioner Daniella Levine Cava is smartly picking up the baton to try to lessen the impacts we feel from storms. We com- mend the commissioner for her insightful work. For starters, at her in- sistence, the Miami-Dade Commission on Tuesday passed legislation aimed at bringing backup power, in- cluding solar-powered solu- tions, to the county’s traffic signals, and to develop a free, emergency management mobile app. We don’t have those already? These items are among a list of recommendations Levine Cava outlined in her recent after-action report following Hurricane Irma, which knocked us for a loop. “We need to take advan- tage of the technology and tools available to better serve our residents during emergencies,” said Commis- sioner Levine Cava. A simple concept that was chal- lenged during Irma. Though we were spared the worst of the storm, the disruption caused “high- lights the need to redouble our collective efforts to create a more resilient county,” Levine Cava writes in her 8-page report. “Resilience is all about preparation, response, and recovery from outside shocks and stresses.” She’s on the money. We’re not taking the shocks well. Here are some of her rec- ommendations from the com- missioner’s report: ■■ We must get gasoline to Florida faster be- fore and after a storm. ■■ FPL should aggres- sively pursue under- ground power lines. (Costs too much money) ■■ FPL should give people more information about who gets re- stored first and why. ■■ Before any storm, FPL should coordinate with residents and local gov- ernments on who is re- sponsible for trees en- croaching on FPL lines. ■■ Cell phone service pro- viders should be better integrated into the coun- ty’s disaster planning and communications systems. ■■ Cell phone and cable car- riers should install emer- gency generators at cell phone towers to pro- vide service following a storm. Hallelujah! ■■ Miami-Dade should make its decisions about shelter openings more transparent, and inform residents in a timely manner about which shelters will be opened. ■■ Miami-Dade County should work to make all of its hurricane shel- ters pet-friendly. ■■ The county should create a smartphone “app” which displays real-time emer- gency management in- formation, including the list of open evacua- tion centers and those which are pet-friendly. ■■ 3-1-1 should pro- vide expanded hours prior to a storm. ■■ The county should ex- peditiously activate emergency food dis- tribution sites within impacted areas. ■■ Access to food after a storm event can be a life or death situa- tion for many families. ■■ Prior to a storm, the county should do a better job communicating to residents about how storm debris will be re- moved and priorities. ■■ And the county should better communicate how the public could assist in propping up those trees in swales after the storm. After a storm, many resi- dents are willing roll up their sleeves and work to get back to normal. All good ideas. So how many can we make a reality before the next hur- ricane season rolls around? © 2017, The Associated Press An American flag waves in the median where small piles of debris leftover from Hurricane Irma dot the landscape of a residential street, Thursday, Nov. 9, in Everglades City, Fla. - PHOTO: AP5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 2017 VIP package for two includes: • Round-tripairtravelandaccommodation • ProfessionalmakeoverbeforetheGRAMMYAwards® •Ticketstoattendthe60thGRAMMYAwards® • PrivatetourofNewYorkCity • Andmore! 186904-Ad-CompassJRpg-4colx12-MC-60th-Grammys.indd 111/7/17 5:57 PM Rain postpones family fun day; rescheduled for 2018 KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new YMCA ropes course, planned for comple- tion early next year, began teaching team-building and problem-solving skills ahead of schedule this weekend. Heavy rain poured down over the groundbreaking cere- mony for the course Saturday morning, forcing organizers to improvise and washing out a family fun day at George Town’s Field of Dreams. The Y’s fifth anniver- sary celebration may not have gone ahead as sched- uled, but organizers pushed forward with a symbolic groundbreaking. As a cold front blew in from the north, members of the YMCA and the Governor’s Office huddled under a protective awning with shovels in hand. The planned ropes course comes as a result of fun- draising from the 2017 Deputy Governor’s 5K Chal- lenge, which raised a record $85,000 through April’s walks and runs held in Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman. Around $80,000 of the funds are budgeted for the course, supported by electric poles donated from CUC. The re- maining money is slated to help young people in Cayman Brac attend YMCA camp in Grand Cayman. The course, intended to teach youth life skills and team building, will include a 50-foot Alpine tower, and a 30-foot high giant swing with a 60-foot arch path. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said the YMCA project was chosen as this year’s beneficiary for the real-world results it is ex- pected to produce. “Why I was drawn to them, if you look back at all the projects that the DG’s 5K has supported, it has always been very tangible things that you can see. We supported hospice and their building. We sup- ported the Special Olympics going off and doing a trip. We worked with the Heart Fund to get an ambulance. Now, you will be able to see a ropes course going up. The public will be able to see ex- actly where their money has gone and they can feel part of it,” Mr. Manderson said. “I want the community to know they can be part of something special by coming out and doing the DG’s 5K. That’s why I supported the Y. They’re a first-class or- ganization. They’re world- known for what they do for youth and the community. It was a great pleasure to work with them and I am so happy they are now partnered with another great organization in the Cayman Islands, the Little League.” The facility will be located at the Field of Dreams be- hind the Little League fields and across from the Truman Bodden Sports Complex. YMCA Chief Executive Officer Greg Smith said the planned course will empha- size team development and building concentration. “It really speaks to one of the greatest concerns we’ve had, which is really teaching people in a way that it be- comes real around the things they need to learn: social skill development, communica- tions, problem solving and then applying them back to life. Of all the things we can do, we feel this fits what the YMCA is. It’s fun. It’s dif- ferent. It’s adventurous and exciting. It’s very real,” Mr. Smith said. In addition to building team skills, the course will also help participants over- come their fears – something Deputy Governor Manderson can relate to. “I do have a fear of heights. But we should al- ways be trying to meet our fears, so yes, you can expect to see me there,” he said. Construction of the course is planned from Jan. 22 to Feb. 3. Mr. Smith said that once the grounds are ready, construction of the course should only require two weeks. The course will offer an alternative to classroom-style learning by allowing young people to put their problem- solving skills to the test in a safe, real-world setting. The 2018 Deputy Gover- nor’s 5K Challenge is sched- uled for April 15 in Cayman Brac, April 22 in Little Cayman and April 29 in Grand Cayman. The race’s next beneficiary will be an- nounced early next year. The YMCA’s family fun day will be rescheduled for 2018. YMCA ropes course in the works Inclement weather forced YMCA members and representatives from the Governor’s Office to settle for a symbolic groundbreaking on a new ropes course Saturday. - PHOTO: KAYLA YOUNG The Wellness Centre is of- fering a free one-hour work- shop at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, for families displaced by recent hurricanes. Clinicians will work sep- arately with parents, while their children engage in interactive play therapy with other mental health professionals. Therapists will guide the children through a book on dealing with disasters, looking for any cues that might indicate the need for further intervention. Parents will learn what signs and symptoms to look for and what to expect during the months after a disaster. At the end of the sessions, the parents and children come together and kids share what they experienced. The event is being held at the Art Nest Creative Studio, behind Foster’s Food Fair’s air- port location. Space is limited so reservations are required. A sign-up form can be found at http://bit.ly/2AKD5CG. Call 949-9355 for more information. HELP FOR HURRICANE SURVIVORSThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Authority, said the opening of the new wing, the first part of the airport expansion open to the public, was a major milestone. He said, “It is not as significant for us, because we have watched it coming out of the ground, but for passengers coming in for the first time, it has a huge impact. We are very proud of it.” He said travelers could expect sim- ilar unveilings every few months over the next year as the airport is completed, piece by piece. Next will be the new arrivals area, opening in January. The temporary de- parture area expansion will come down in February. Then the wall between the departure lounge and the current cus- toms and immigration area will be de- molished as work takes place to com- bine the two halls. “There is going to be a bit more im- pact on travelers but hopefully they will be able to see what is happening around them and see that real progress is being made,” Mr. Anderson added. He said businesses applying for space in the revamped departure lounge should find out by the end of the year if they had won bids to be involved. Once complete the new airport will be able to handle 2.5 million passengers per year, more than double the 1.2 million that currently use the facility annually. Persistent concerns about congestion and overcrowding have dogged the air- port for years. But Mr. Anderson said complaints have diminished as passengers see the work in progress. By next Christmas, he said, the new airport would be substantively com- plete and those issues would be a thing of the past. “When we built the original airport we said we would never fill it up, so you never know what will happen in the fu- ture,” he added. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell said it was exciting to see passengers ac- tually able to use part of the new airport. “We are going over 400,000 tour- ists for the first time in history so it is very timely. “It is a great feeling to walk in here and see the difference. It is the first time the country really sees what this airport is going to be. You really start under- standing how much bigger, how much more current it is going to be.” He said the $55 million project was on time and on budget and would de- liver an airport fit for Cayman’s travel and tourism needs. MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Workers waiting weeks for English language testing Eighty percent of Cayman Islands work permit holders come from just seven countries, four of which are majority Eng- lish-speaking jurisdictions including the U.K., the U.S., Canada and Jamaica. The other three coun- tries represented are not primarily English-speaking, and workers coming from two of the nations, the Phil- ippines and India, have been growing steadily in recent years. Workers from the Phil- ippines now make up ap- proximately 13 percent of all work permits held in the Cayman Islands, second only to the territory’s next- door neighbor, Jamaica. In- dians now hold more than 1,050 work permits in Cayman and have overtaken Hondurans as the sixth most populous nationality for permit holders. Workers from non-Eng- lish-language-first coun- tries do not need to wait until they arrive in Cayman to be tested, Mr. Smith said, if their employers wish to speed up the process. “The department will ac- cept English language test scores from overseas test centers, namely, Interna- tional English Language Testing Systems and Test of English for English In- ternational Communica- tion,” he said. For the moment, the Immigration Department has put in place tempo- rary measures that allow businesses to function nor- mally during the holiday season and into the new year, Mr. Smith said. People waiting to take the English language test may work as long as they are able to take the test within 30 days of their work permit ap- proval or their arrival on is- land, according to immigra- tion officials. First glimpse of new airport CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Hazard Management director retires Hazard Management Cayman Islands Director McCleary Frederick is retiring after 36 years in civil service. Mr. Frederick began his work for the Cayman Islands Government in 1981 as a trainee draftsman for the Public Works Department. He later worked for the Department of Planning as a code enforcement of- ficer, where he helped establish the Cayman Islands Building Code and an electronic inspection system. One of his greatest contributions was his work to help establish a permanent and full-time disaster management agency. This work led to the creation of Hazard Manage- ment Cayman Islands, where Mr. Frederick first began working as deputy director of mitigation. He was promoted to director of the department in August 2007. In May he was honored as the first international recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Florida Gov- ernor’s Hurricane Conference for his contributions to hurricane preparedness. “His determination and commitment has made the [Cayman] Islands safer and more resilient, and has earned him the respect and admiration of his peers in the field and in the wider region,” the award nomination form stated. Mr. Frederick attributed much of his success to the support of his team. “To be successful in life, one needs to recognise that one’s level of success will often depend on a lot of people,” Mr. Frederick said in a press statement. “I have worked with some incred- ible individuals over the years and have learned a bit from each of them.” Mr. Frederick was recognized by fellow civil servants last week with a re- tirement celebration. Deputy Governor Franz Manderson praised Mr. Frederick for his “out-of-the- box thinking and quick wit.” “He displayed the confidence of a good leader and always showed an af- fection and love for the people of the Cayman Islands,” Mr. Manderson said. The Customs Depart- ment Collections Office will open for longer hours to accommodate Christmas package retrieval. The office will re- main open until 5 p.m., an hour longer than its typical schedule, Dec. 11 through Dec. 22. The office will close, however, at 12 p.m. on Dec. 16. The Customs Courier Of- fice will maintain its regular hours, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and remain closed on Saturdays. Both the Collections Office and the Courier Office will close Dec. 23 and reopen Dec. 27. The offices will also close Dec. 30 for the New Year hol- iday and reopen Jan. 2. The Needs Assessment Unit, located on the second floor of the Aqua Mall at 55 Church Street, will be closed on Friday, Dec. 15 from 8:30 a.m. until noon. The office will also be closed on Friday, Dec. 22, and will not reopen until 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 27. The office will close at 5 p.m. on Dec. 27 and remain closed through the New Year. The NAU will reopen for regular business on Tuesday, Jan. 2. CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES HOLIDAY HOURS NEEDS ASSESSMENT UNIT TO CLOSE FOR CHRISTMAS McCleary Frederick - PHOTO: GIS GIVE NOTICE FOR CHRISTMAS MEAT INSPECTIONS Cayman Islands butchers and livestock farmers are re- minded to plan meat inspec- tions in advance to avoid the Christmas rush. Notice should be pro- vided at least 48 hours in advance to the Veteri- nary Section of the Depart- ment of Agriculture for pre- slaughter inspections and to the Department of Envi- ronmental Health for post- slaughter inspections. Butchers should not offer meat for sale that has not been inspected and ap- proved by the DEH for human consumption. Con- sumers can verify whether meat has been inspected by checking carcasses for the DEH stamp. “The DEH urges con- sumers to be vigilant when purchasing local meat and to desist from purchasing/ consuming meat of car- casses that have not been passed fit for consump- tion by the DEH,” a DEH statement read. German intelligence warns of increased Chinese cyberspying BERLIN (AP) — The head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency warned Sunday that China is using social net- works to try to cultivate sources of infor- mation among lawmakers and officials, while Chinese hackers are increasingly attacking European companies through trusted suppliers. Hans-Georg Maassen said his agency, known by its German acronym BfV, be- lieves more than 10,000 Germans have been targeted by Chinese intelligence agents posing as consultants, head- hunters or researchers, primarily on the social networking site LinkedIn. “This is a broad-based attempt to infil- trate in particular parliaments, ministries and government agencies,” Maassen said. The BfV established a task force early this year which examined the use of fake profiles on social networks over a nine- month period. The agency provided jour- nalists with what it said where eight of the most prolific fake profiles on LinkedIn used by Chinese spies. Using names such as Lily Wu, Lae- ticia Chen or Alex Li, the profiles sport an impressive resume, hundreds of con- tacts and attractive pictures of young professionals. The agency also named six organiza- tions it said are used by Chinese spies to cloak their approaches, including one called the Association France Euro- Chine and another named Global View Strategic Consulting. Messages seeking comment from the organizations weren’t immedi- ately returned. Maassen warned that Chinese cyber- groups are also using so-called “supply- chain attacks” to get around compa- nies’ online defenses. Such attacks target IT workers and others who work for a trusted service providers in order to send malicious software into the net- works of organizations the attackers are interested in. “The infections are difficult to de- tect, since network connections between service providers and their customers aren’t suspicious,” the BfV said. “This gives the attacker an even better dis- guise than before.” Cayman Islands Airports Authority CEO Albert Anderson says the new airport should be substantively complete by Christmas 2018. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 2017 Holiday office hours BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town.Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, Cayman BracTel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. insurance, health, pensions, life Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! The management and staff at BritCay extend sincere season’s best wishes to you, your family and your friends. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky HOLIDAY OFFICE HOURS Early closing: 22nd December - noon 29th December - noon cgigrp Play field renamed for Ronald J. Forbes North Side honors three-time Olympian CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The renaming of their dis- trict playing field may not have happened where orga- nizers had planned, but how it happened must have ex- ceeded their highest expec- tations as well-wishers from across the island saluted three-time Olympic hur- dler and elite athlete Ronald Forbes on Saturday night. The sporting facility at the northern end of Frank Sound Road was to have been the venue, with a new sign to be unveiled that would proclaim it henceforth as the Ronald J. Forbes Playing Field. Banners and tents were set up well in advance of the 5 p.m. starting time, but heavy rains from 4 p.m. prompted the decision to move to the shelter of Crad- dock Ebanks Civic Centre. “It takes a village to raise a child,” Mr. Forbes would re- mark later in the program, and it took a portion of that village to transport chairs, decorations, containers of food and cartons of bever- ages to the building some two miles east. There, tables were set up, chairs wiped down and balloons relocated by a small army of visiting civil servants, performers’ parents and friends. The executive committee of the North Side District Council had planned the un- veiling of the new sign before sunset. When master of cer- emonies Pastor Conway King thanked the assembly for helping with the smooth tran- sition, it was just 23 minutes after that scheduled time. Christen Suckoo, chief of- ficer in the Ministry of Edu- cation, Youth, Sports, Agricul- ture and Lands, was to have given the formal welcome, but he had a sore throat so he stayed in the audience as assistant chief officer Joel Francis gave his speech. Mr. Francis said North Side and the whole Cayman Islands could be proud of the manner in which Mr. Forbes repre- sented Cayman all mover the world. He joked that Mr. Forbes had received “many awards and prizes in his ca- reer, but we are pretty sure this is his first play field.” Minister for Sport Juliana O’Connor-Connolly could not be present, but MLA David Wight, councilor for sport, de- livered her speech on her be- half. The speech saluted Mr. Forbes for his “no excuses” at- titude and called his level of commitment exemplary. He had represented Cayman in over 25 countries and had faced many hurdles on and off the track. “I pray when children read the name of this field they will be in- spired to persevere in the face of adversity,” according to the speech. “I’m impressed by the amount of talent our little islands possess,” said Ms. O’Connor-Connolly’s speech, adding that youngsters needed emotional support as much as financial. Mr. Wight added a com- ment of his own. A respected cricketer himself, he told Mr. Forbes, “Athletics’ gain was cricket’s loss.” Pat Ebanks presented what she said was a biog- raphy, but instead turned into a litany of Mr. Forbes’s achievements in collegiate, commonwealth and other international meets, culmi- nating in qualification for the Olympics three times. On behalf of the commu- nity, she thanked him for his determination and dedica- tion. She pointed to the people present who were of many different ages and from many occupations, but they all shared in admiration for Mr. Forbes, “who never quits until the job is done.” He had helped many others reach their goals because he does not know the word defeat, she said. “Thanks for pushing on when you felt like giving up, and being a man of actions, not just words,” she told him. Mr. Forbes’s remarks were mainly expressions of heart- felt gratitude. He grew up playing football on the field now being named for him, he recalled; he accepted the honor, recognizing that with it came great responsi- bility. He paid homage to the men of an earlier generation who used pick axes, shovels and machetes to make the first clearance so they could play football. He referred to the thatch hat lapel pin he was wearing and said he wore it because it reminded him of the times in which he grew up. His grandmother had stitched thatch products as a way of making a living, a way to get a meal at the end of the day. “It reminds me of home wherever I go,” he said. He recognized the work of all women, calling them the “ul- timate sacrifice-makers.” Mr. Forbes thanked adults who had provided opportu- nities for North Side boys to play football and basket- ball and have cycling races; he had not pursued these sports, but they had led him to sports discipline. He ob- served that the older genera- tions may have had potential Olympians among them, but they did not have the oppor- tunities. Today’s generation has opportunities, he pointed out, but also, “We have the re- sponsibility to make sure the momentum continues for fu- ture generations.” He urged parents to never forget that education starts in the home and he warned children that “We are often most educated by the people we spend the most time around.” He asked them to continue to pray “and know that God is with you all the way.” Wherever their chosen path takes them, he advised, “Never forget where home is. Never forget what home is.” Mr. Forbes’s agent, Dimitri Albert, who brought greet- ings from the athlete’s coach and hailed Mr. Forbes’s posi- tive attitude, professionalism and willingness to pass on the knowledge he had gained to younger athletes. North Side MLA Ez- zard Miller spoke of the stu- dents from Clifton Hunter High School and Edna Moyle Primary School who had provided musical entertain- ment. “You are responsible for the young people you saw on stage,” he reminded Mr. Forbes. He said every time the honored athlete drove past the field with his name on it, “I want you to reded- icate yourself to them. You can be an example they can all look up to.” Mr. Miller said one of to- day’s problems was that young people do not have many heroes. But they could look to the Ronald J. Forbes Playing Field for inspiration. “If Ronald can do it from his humble, honest beginnings, then there is no reason why you all can’t do it,” he asserted. The official renaming and unveiling of the new sign was done by Mr. Suckoo and Mr. Wight, after which district council chairman Debra Broderick gave the vote of thanks. A full-course buffet dinner was laid out at the back of the hall and, while the majority of people lined up to enjoy it, many others headed to the front of the hall asking to have their picture taken with Mr. Forbes and the sign as a souvenir of the happy occa- sion. He graciously agreed be- cause, as he had said earlier, it had taken family, friends and neighbors to make him the man he is. They were part of his success. The field’s new sign is admired by Ronald J. Forbes, wife Elma, and parents Ronnie and Karen Forbes. - PHOTO: CAROL WINKERThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Trump sends new diplomat to Venezuela The Trump administration will send Todd D. Robinson to Venezuela as its top diplomatic envoy at a time when relations between the countries are rapidly deteriorating. Robinson is a former ambassador and comes with a reputation for candidness and controversy. MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Snow exits South, marches toward Northeast ATLANTA (AP) — A pre-winter storm that roared through the Deep South and coated half of North Carolina and portions of Virginia in snow pushed northward on Sat- urday, leaving motorists to brave potentially icy roads and utility crews trying to restore heat and light to thousands. Forecasters were warning that the slush created during daylight would turn to ice from tempera- tures dropping below freezing, cre- ating black ice on roads, bridges and other elevated surfaces. “That catches people more off guard than when you see snow,” said National Weather Service me- teorologist Mike Moneypenny of the Raleigh, North Carolina, office. Before Friday, the forecast for North Carolina called for little more than an inch of snow for the central counties with more ex- pected for the higher elevations. The frigid temperatures behind a cold front combined with moisture off the Gulf of Mexico to bring the unusual wintry weather to parts of the South. By Saturday, Burnsville had re- ported 14½ inches (35 centimeters) of snow. The Hendersonville area had 12 inches (30 centimeters) and Asheville recorded 8 inches (20 cen- timeters) of snow. Across the South, preliminary reports to the National Weather Service showed up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow- fall in northwest Georgia, with 7 inches (18 centimeters) of accumu- lation in parts of metro Atlanta. Another 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow was reported in Anniston, Alabama, while up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) were reported in Mis- sissippi. Rare flurries were even re- ported in New Orleans. “It’s very, very abnormal and rare that we would get totals like that this time of year,” said Sid King, a meteorologist for the Na- tional Weather Service in the At- lanta area. “It’s really not even winter yet. I would not be sur- prised if we broke a lot of records.” By late Saturday Duke Energy was reporting 2,000 customers without power in North Carolina, down from more than 39,000 ear- lier in the day. Richmond had 3½ inches (8 centimeters) of snow, as did Prince Edward. Virginia State police re- ported hundreds of crashes blamed on icy weather. Temperatures forecast for Sunday weren’t favorable for melting the snow, according to forecasters. Highs across much of North Carolina were not expected to get out of the 30s on Sunday, and after a brief warm up on Monday, a second round of cold air was likely to stall the melting. At the Hartsfield-Jackson At- lanta International Airport, which sees more passengers annually than any other airport in the world, spokesman Reese McCranie said more than 400 flights were can- celled Saturday. That’s after nearly 1,200 cancellations Friday. Not everyone was anxious to flee. Members of a central Florida family found their way to At- lanta specifically to witness the white drifts. “It’s beautiful,” said Tim Moss, while his two sons and wife threw snowballs at each other near a Mc- Donald’s parking lot early Saturday. He said the family — including his mother — made a spontaneous de- cision late Friday to leave 80-degree weather in Florida and drive seven hours to see snow for the first time. “A lot of people who live here are staying in,” said Moss. “They don’t want to get out in it. But we want to get out and run around in it.” More than 334,000 homes and businesses were still without electricity Saturday afternoon in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. About 235,000 of those still in the dark were in Georgia. Southern Pine Electric Co-op- erative had more than 10,500 cus- tomers without power Saturday in south Mississippi. The co-op had more than twice that many out- ages at the storm’s peak, utility spokesman Brock Williamson said. He said getting everyone’s elec- tricity restored could take days. In Atlanta, a fallen power line was blamed for electrocuting a man late Friday. Bystanders tried to warn the man before he walked into the dangling live wire, Atlanta police Sgt. John Chafee said Sat- urday. He said it was unclear if the wire was downed because of the icy weather. A freeze warning was in ef- fect Saturday for parts of northern Florida, southeast Alabama and southwest Georgia. The weather service said freezing temper- atures can harm vulnerable plants and animals. “It’s very , very abnormal and rare that we would get totals like that this time of year.” SID KING, meteorologist Snow disrupts road, air travel in England and northern Wales LONDON (AP) – Snow is causing travel disruptions across central England and northern Wales, grounding flights, shutting down roads and causing traffic accidents. Birmingham and London Stansted Air- ports both suspended flights as runways were cleared. The airports both advised passengers to contact their airlines to check their flight status. “Please be advised that flight de- lays and cancellations are expected due to the adverse weather conditions,” Stansted warned. The M1 motorway – the main highway between London and northeast England – was partially closed in Leicestershire. Police in Wales warned against all but the most essential travel amid per- sistent snowfall that is forecast to last throughout the day. Strong winds slammed into Welch coast. The Met Office warned of wind and rain for London and southern England, with gusts of up to 70 mph (110 kph) pre- dicted. Parts of the British capital were coated with snow Sunday morning. Birmingham and London Stansted Airports both suspended flights as runways were cleared. The airports both advised passengers to contact their airlines to check their flight status. People walk on a snow-covered road Saturday in Kennesaw, Ga. Snow covers the parking decks at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport as a winter storm warning was in effect for the Atlanta area.- PHOTOS: AP A man walks past a snow-covered phone booth in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. Heavy snowfall across parts of the U.K. is causing widespread disruption, closing roads and grounding flights. - PHOTO: STEVE PARSONS/PA WIRE9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY DECEMBER 11, 2017 Iraq announces end to war against IS BAGHDAD (AP) — After more than three years of combat operations, Iraq announced Saturday that the fight against the Islamic State group is over after the country’s security forces drove the extremists from all of the territory they once held. Iraqi and American officials warned, how- ever, that key challenges remain de- spite the military victory. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi formally announced the victory in an address to the nation aired on Iraqi state television Saturday evening. “Honorable Iraqis, your land has been completely liberated,” he said. “The liberation dream has become a reality. We achieved victory in diffi- cult circumstances and with God’s help, the steadfastness of our people and the bravery of our heroic forces we prevailed.” “The flag of Iraq is flying high today over all Iraqi territory and at the farthest point on the border,” he added, standing before the most senior members of Iraq’s se- curity forces. Following al-Abadi’s remarks, his office declared a public holiday Sunday in celebration of the victory, according to an official statement from the prime minister’s office. Iraqi forces mopped up the last pockets of IS fighters from Iraq’s western deserts Saturday, securing the country’s border with Syria, a step that marked the end of combat operations against the extremists. “All Iraqi lands are liberated from terrorist Daesh gangs and our forces completely control the international Iraqi-Syrian border,” said Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Rasheed Yar Allah, a se- nior Iraqi military commander, in a statement Saturday afternoon. The U.S. applauded the prime minister’s announcement. The U.S. offers “sincere congratulations to the Iraqi people and to the brave Iraqi Security Forces, many of whom lost their lives heroically fighting ISIS,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a written statement, using an alternative acronym for IS. “Our coalition will continue to stand with Iraq to support its se- curity forces, economy and stabili- zation to help ensure that ISIS can never against threaten Iraq’s people or use its territory as a haven,” said Brett McGurk, U.S. special presiden- tial envoy to the anti-IS coalition, in a statement posted to his official Twitter account. “We mark today’s historic vic- tory mindful of the work that re- mains,” he added. Iraq’s government remains faced with significant security threats, an economic crisis and the enormous task of rebuilding swaths of territory decimated by the IS fight. IS fighters overran nearly a third of Iraqi territory, including Mosul, the country’s second largest city and Tikrit, the capital of Iraq’s cen- tral Salahuddin province in the summer of 2014. The following year, IS fighters also overran Anbar’s pro- vincial capital of Ramadi. Over the past 3 ½ half years, Iraqi ground forces closely backed by the U.S.-led coalition and mostly Shiite paramilitary forces backed by Iran have slowly retaken all of that territory. The pace of the anti-IS operation accelerated last year as coalition- backed Iraqi ground forces prepared for the assault on Mosul that was formally launched in October 2016. After more than nine months of mostly grueling urban combat, Al-Abadi declared victory over IS in Mosul in July. In the months that followed Iraqi forces retook a handful of other IS held towns including Tal Afar in Au- gust, Hawija in September and Qaim in October. In November, Iraqi forces retook the last Iraqi town held by IS — Rawah, near the border with Syria. However, IS fighters remain ca- pable of carrying out insurgent at- tacks in Iraq, and the group has re- covered from past setbacks. IS insurgent networks continue to pose a threat to Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, a senior Iraqi security of- ficial said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The official said intelligence gath- ering would become increasingly im- portant in the post-military phase of the fight against IS. “The triumph of military operations alone is not enough without stability,” government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said, explaining that rebuilding in the wake of military victories against IS remained a “big challenge” for the Iraqi government. Additionally, some 3 million Iraqis remain displaced by the fight against IS, according to the United Nations. Al-Abadi also remains faced with a political and military stand- off with the country’s Kurdish re- gion over a referendum held on independence. Federal government troops re- main deployed throughout a string of disputed territories claimed by both Baghdad and Iraq’s Kurds — who were also backed by U.S.-led co- alition forces in the fight against IS. While Baghdad and Irbil have both stated a willingness to talk, nego- tiations to end the dispute have not yet begun. As he closed his national address, al-Abadi acknowledged the chal- lenges that remain for Iraq. “I urge everyone to refrain from returning to the inflammatory and sectarian discourse that empowered gangs to occupy our cities and vil- lages,” he said. “Our people have paid a dear price,” he added. “We must turn this page forever.” “All Iraqi lands are liberated from terrorist Daesh gangs and our forces completely control the international Iraqi- Syrian border.” LT. GEN. ABDUL-AMIR RASHEED YAR ALLAH, senior Iraqi military commander Israeli defense chief calls for Arab boycott after protests JERUSALEM (AP) — Isra- el’s defense minister called Sunday for a boycott of Arab businesses in an area where residents took part in vio- lent protests against Presi- dent Donald Trump’s rec- ognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Avigdor Lieberman, who heads the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, said the Arabs of Wadi Ara in northern Is- rael were “not part of us” and that Jewish Israelis should no longer visit their villages and buy their products. Hun- dreds of Israeli Arabs pro- tested Saturday along a major highway in northern Israel, where dozens of masked ri- oters hurled stones at buses and police vehicles. Three Is- raelis were wounded and sev- eral vehicles were damaged. “These people do not be- long to the state of Israel. They have no connection to this country,” Lieberman told Israel’s Army Radio. “More- over, I would call on all cit- izens of Israel — stop going to their stores, stop buying, stop getting services, simply a boycott on Wadi Ara. They need to feel that they are not welcome here.” Lieberman has long called for Wadi Ara to be in- cluded in his proposed swap of lands and populations as part of a future peace agree- ment with the Palestinians. The residents, like many of Israel’s Arab minority, sym- pathize with the Palestinians of the West Bank and often openly identify with them. But they are also Israeli cit- izens who largely reject the notion of becoming part of a future Palestinian state. Ayman Odeh, the head of the Arab Joint list in parlia- ment, said Lieberman’s call for a boycott of Arabs was reminiscent of the worst re- gimes in history. Gilad Erdan, the minister of public secu- rity from the ruling Likud Party, said that Lieberman’s diplomatic plan was not ap- plicable and he rejected the notion of giving up the coun- try’s sovereignty just because it had Arab citizens. The violent protests were part of the larger Pales- tinian “day of rage” following Trump’s announcement that he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and planned to move the U.S. Embassy there. Protests and demonstra- tions took place in dozens of locations across the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, lands captured by Israel during the 1967 war that the Palestinians want to be part of their future state. Four Palestinians were killed in Gaza in Israeli air- strikes following rocket fire from there and in clashes along the border. Overall, however, the three days of protests passed relatively peacefully amid fears that they could spark another vio- lent Palestinian uprising. CAIRO (AP) — Arab for- eign ministers on Sunday demanded that the United States rescind President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Isra- el’s capital, calling it a “grave” development that puts Wash- ington on the same side as “occupation” and the viola- tion of international law. In a resolution long on rhetoric but short on con- crete actions, the ministers also called for the U.N. Secu- rity Council to adopt a reso- lution condemning Trump’s decision, but acknowledged that Washington would most likely veto it. If the U.S. vetoes the reso- lution, the Arabs would seek a similar resolution in the U.N. General Assembly, Pales- tinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki told a pre-dawn news conference in Cairo. A two-page resolution adopted by the emergency meeting, which began Sat- urday night, did not in- clude any punitive actions against the United States, like a call for a boycott of American products or sus- pending or downgrading ties with Washington. It also appeared to fall short of matching the anger felt by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, which have seen three days of violent protests against Trump’s decision. “We have taken a polit- ical decision not meant to reflect (what is going on in) the streets. Political work is responsible work,” said Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul- Gheit. “Jerusalem has been occupied for 50 years. This is an extended battle, a battle that will be escalated,” he told the news conference. The resolution said the ministers would meet again within a month and held out the possibility that an emergency Arab summit would be held in Jordan to discuss Jerusalem. ARAB MINISTERS DEMAND REVERSAL OF TRUMP JERUSALEM DECISION Iraqis celebrate while holding a giant national flag after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory against the Islamic State group in Mosul, Iraq in July. Iraq said Saturday that its war against the Islamic State is over after more than three years of combat operations. - PHOTO: AP FILE Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Ramallah. - PHOTO: APNext >