High of 83 Low of 76 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 WHEN WITHHOLDING THE TRUTH HAS CONSEQUENCES ENTERTAINMENT | PAGE 16 BLACK DRESS PROTEST TRANSFORMS GOLDEN GLOBES RED CARPET ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2018 Rising to the occasion every day, year after year PROUD TO BE THE BANKER’S BANK OF THE YEAR IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. www.butterfieldgroup.com Butterfield Bank (Cayman) Limited is licensed to conduct banking and investment business by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Address: 12 Albert Panton Street, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. 187202_HR-Ad-Strip-BOTY2017-6colPage 1 12/15/17 10:16:40 AM Gov’t: Roydell Carter not suspended “No funds unaccounted for at DEH” JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The leadership of the government depart- ment responsible for trash collection and the landfill is in flux, with the director out of office and another senior official resigning from his post. Government on Monday denied media re- ports that Roydell Carter, the director of the Department of Environmental Health, who is understood to have been out of the office since last month, had been suspended. Jennifer Ahearn, chief officer in the Min- istry of Health, Environment, Culture and Housing, said, “Contrary to reports in the media, DEH Director Roydell Carter has not been suspended and there are no funds unac- counted for at DEH. Mr. Carter is currently on leave, and Paulino Rodriguez is acting director in his absence.” A spokeswoman for the department also confirmed that Mark Rowlands, the assistant director with responsibility for the landfill site, has resigned. No reasons were given for Mr. Row- lands’ departure. The Department of Environmental Health has been beset by a variety of issues over the past month. Roadside collections were impacted over Christmas, with trash piling up in some neigh- borhoods, which officials attributed to “public holidays during the festive season and equip- ment problems” Similar issues in early December were at- tributed in part to a staff dispute concerning overtime pay. Government’s internal audit unit is midway through a review focusing on overtime at the department, which Ms. Ahearn acknowledged have “escalated over the past 18 months.” A government spokeswoman said Monday that additional pick-ups over the past week had put garbage collection “back on track.” FORMER POLICE TRAFFIC CHIEF’S CASE COMES TO COURT Bail extended for one-week adjournment CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Suspended police officer Adrian James Barnett appeared in Summary Court on Monday facing charges arising from incidents in June 2017. Mr. Barnett, who held the rank of in- spector, was formerly in charge of the Traffic Management Unit. Magistrate Valdis Foldats set the matter for mention again on Jan. 15, at the request of de- fense attorney John Furniss. Mr. Furniss explained that Crown counsel Toyin Salako had agreed to provide him with the papers in the case by Wednesday or Thursday this week. Mr. Barnett, 53, faces charges for offenses alleged to have occurred last June 10 and June 12. The first set includes dangerous driving along Linford Pierson Highway and Shamrock Road, driving while impaired, and leaving the scene of an accident without reasonable cause. Details of the driving while impaired charge are that the defendant had consumed alcohol in such quantity that his ability to drive was impaired. No alcohol/breath mea- surement was specified. Mr. Barnett is further charged with will- fully attempting to mislead a police officer on June 12 by giving false information with in- tent to defeat or delay the ends of justice. No details were provided. His bail was extended until the next mention date. HospiceCare looks to August completion TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com Builders at Cayman HospiceCare are preparing to roof the new building, pro- jecting an August opening for the combined administrative and inpatient palliative-care facility on the one-acre West Bay Road site. Outdoor areas, a patio and gardens will augment the 6,000-square-foot building – divided down the middle into its compo- nent functions – on the Dart-donated land behind Coconut Joe’s Beach Bar and Grill. The $3-million project will rehouse Hos- piceCare, founded in the mid-90s and most famously resident in Conch Shell House on North Sound Road, from its temporary Tra- falgar Place location to the new, larger, pur- pose-built premises. Planning for the new facility, designed gratis by John Doak Archi- tects, started in 2014; the Planning Depart- ment granted permission in Nov. 2016, fol- lowed by a June 15, 2017 groundbreaking. Alongside Mr. Doak’s architectural-ser- vices donation, quantity surveyor BCQS discounted fees for construction and pre- construction, APEC Consulting Engi- neers for structural engineering design, and Androgroup for mechanical, electrical PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Construction workers Jets Welcome, foreground, and Gregory Messam work at Cayman HospiceCare’s new $3 million building, located behind Coconut Joe’s on West Bay Road. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2018 • 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. - TUESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) MOLLY’S GAME (R) 12:55 I 6:45 STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 3:40 I 6:55 I 9:25 THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (PG) 4:25 I 7:15 I 9:50 FERDINAND (PG) 1:40 I 4:25 I 7:00 INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY (PG13) 1:35 I 3:50 I 9:45 JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (PG13) 1:00 I 4:05 VIP I 6:45 I 9:20 VIP I 10:10 PITCH PERFECT 3 (PG13) 1:20 I 4:00 I 9:50 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: BIG (PG) 7:00 VIP RCIPS officers probe TCI police shooting BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two Royal Cayman Is- lands Police officers have been dispatched to help investigate a deadly po- lice shooting that occurred Jan. 1 in the Turks and Caicos Islands. RCIPS officials confirmed Monday that Inspector Jo- seph Wright would lead the probe into the death of Lavern Smith, 25, of Providenciales. Local police did not state how long the RCIPS offi- cers would need to stay in Turks and Caicos. “[The officers] will be there conducting inquiries for the period of time their presence is required by the investigation,” an RCIPS statement read. Cayman police received similar assistance from Ber- mudian police last January, following a deadly shooting involving Jamaican na- tional Norval Barrett, who was shot dead by armed officers during a warrant search in Windsor Park. According to a state- ment released last week by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, La- vern Jeven Smith died in a shooting on Aviation Drive on New Year’s Day. “Acting Commissioner of Police, Trevor Botting, has confirmed that officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will be ar- riving on the Turks and Ca- icos Islands on Wednesday, Jan. 3 to commence their independent review of the circumstances of the shooting of Mr. Smith on New Year’s Day.” Turks and Caicos po- lice also noted that one of their officers had been hit by gunfire in the incident. “The police officer is current being treated for his inju- ries,” the department noted. Earlier press statements indicated that Mr. Smith was killed during a shoot out with Turks and Caicos po- lice. It was reported that of- ficers were investigating alle- gations of individuals at that location possessing firearms. According to Turks and Caicos police reports, one of the suspects at the location was shot during an attempt to arrest him. That man, Mr. Smith, later died due to his injuries. Detective Inspector Joseph Wright More equipment, crews head to Puerto Rico SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Federal officials said Monday that efforts to fully restore power to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hur- ricane Maria should get a boost with more work crews and more supplies in upcoming weeks. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it is getting its own barge to ship items and that materials it re- quested several months ago have been manufactured and are finally on their way to the U.S. territory. “We’re doing every- thing we can to increase the [power company’s] ability to do this as fast as possible for the people of Puerto Rico,” said Col. John Lloyd, who is helping oversee power restoration efforts for the Corps of Engineers. He told The Associated Press that officials over the weekend also discovered some needed equipment in a previously overlooked ware- house owned by Puerto Ri- co’s Electric Power Authority. The lack of some of those hard-to-find pieces had de- layed energizing certain lines, according to the Corps of Engineers, which said the material included trans- formers, splices and hun- dreds of a key small piece no longer available elsewhere. Puerto Rico’s energy in- frastructure is about 44 years old, compared with an average 18 years in the U.S. mainland, so a lot of parts damaged or destroyed by the hurricane are no longer available and have to be manufactured, Lloyd said. It is unclear why power company officials had not provided the equipment previously. The Corps of En- gineers said the company’s transmission division con- trols that warehouse and said it of lacked transpar- ency in inventory and ac- countability. Power com- pany spokesman Carlos Monroig did not return a message for comment. More than 40 percent of Puerto Rico’s power cus- tomers remain in the dark nearly four months after the Category 4 storm hit the is- land, causing an estimated $95 billion in damage and killing dozens of people. Lloyd said crews are still assessing damage and that his agency is still waiting for the shipment of hundreds of thousands of poles, trans- formers, fuses, towers, insu- lators, bolts and other pieces. Lloyd said most of the island should have power by end of February or early March, estimating it could be fully powered by May. “Four months is a long time for people to be without power,” he said. “We try to do this as fast as we possibly can.” An upcoming shipment of 1,250 miles of conductor wire and 6,000 poles made of wood, concrete and gal- vanized steel will soon co- incide with the arrival of nearly 2,500 new workers in the next two weeks, officials said. In addition, a federal control board overseeing Puerto Rico’s finances amid an 11-year recession said Monday that it is consid- ering four projects worth a total of $1.5 billion to help restore energy. The projects include a proposed $860 million waste-to-energy plant and a $47.5 million wind farm, both of which would be located along the island’s north coast. Judith Enck, a former regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said Monday that officials ear- lier had rejected the waste- to-energy plant and ac- cused the company of trying to exploit post-hur- ricane conditions to get its project approved. She said the project “is not clean or renewable or a major source of electricity.” Thousands march in Honduras against presidential election result TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) – Thousands of demonstra- tors led by opposition leader Salvador Nasralla gathered in Honduras’ second-largest city Saturday to protest the re-election of President Juan Orlando Hernandez in a vote they say was fraudulent. “We will not stop until Hernandez says he’s leaving,” Nasralla told supporters, many of whom chanted “JOH out!” referring to Hernandez. It was the first such march in San Pedro Sula since the Nov. 26 election, and the losing candidate once again appealed to the Organization of American States and the countries that have recognized Hernandez’s victory to listen to the pro- testers as they oppose an “il- legal government.” According to the official count, Hernandez won with 42.95 percent to 41.42 for Nasralla, a former sports- caster backed by a left- leaning coalition. However the OAS, which had observers monitoring the election, called for a repeat of the vote, saying the official version of the count included “extreme statistical improba- bility.” An early lead by Nas- ralla disappeared after the public vote count mysteri- ously stopped for more than a day then restarted. Hernandez denies the vote was fraudulent and has called on Hondurans to ac- cept his re-election. Some countries, including the United States, have recog- nized his victory. Street protests in Hon- duras left at least 17 dead last month but Saturday’s march went without incident. ARMED CLASHES KILL 11 IN MEXICO ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) – Vi- olent clashes involving gunmen, a community po- lice force and state po- lice killed 11 people in the troubled southern state of Guerrero on Sunday, while a separate series of shoot- outs the previous night left seven dead in the northern Mexico beach resort of San Jose del Cabo. Guerrero state security spokesman Roberto Alvarez said eight people were ini- tially killed when gunmen ambushed community police before dawn in the town of La Concepcion, near the re- sort city of Acapulco. Two of the dead were from the community force. Later in the morning, state police arrived to disarm the local agents, and another shootout erupted in which three people were killed. Al- varez said he did not know how they died, but local media said they were com- munity police. State Attorney General Xavier Olea Pelaez said 30 members of the community police were detained on sus- picion of crimes including homicide and illegal weapons and drug possession. Among those arrested was Marco Antonio Suastegui, the founder of the community force and the leader of a so- cial movement that for over a decade has fought against a hydroelectric project in the region. Photojournalist Bernan- dino Hernandez said that while covering the violence he was beaten, kicked and dragged by state police and forcibly relieved of his cam- era’s memory cards. He also witnessed several other jour- nalists being treated roughly. Hernandez said he had photographed police using force against locals who tried to prevent the arrest of the community agents: “Some people were dragged by the hair to take them away.” Hernandez is a regular contributor of photographs to The Associated Press but was not on assignment for AP at the time. Guerrero has been one of Mexico’s most violent states in recent years, home to mar- ijuana and opium poppy fields as well as warring or- ganized crime gangs. It is also where 43 teachers college students dis- appeared in 2014 after being taken by police from the city of Iguala who allegedly handed them over to a drug cartel. They remain missing. In the northern state of Baja California Sur, prosecu- tors said in a statement that marines responding Saturday night to reports of gunfire in San Jose del Cabo came upon heavily armed men wearing tactical vests and riding in two vehicles with license plates from the U.S. state of California. Both vehicles sped off with the marines in pur- suit and subsequently crashed, the statement said. In two separate exchanges of gunfire, all seven of the cars’ occupants were shot dead by marines. Baja California Sur has also seen an explosion of vi- olence as the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation car- tels battle for territory in the state. In late December, four bodies were found hanging from highway over- passes in the resort-studded Los Cabos area. RCIPS officials confirmed Monday that Inspector Joseph Wright would lead the probe into the death of Lavern Smith. According to the official count, Hernandez won with 42.95 percent to 41.42 for Nasralla.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2018 GOVERNOR’S AWARD FOR DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION EXCELLENCE IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS 2017 This commemorative publication will celebrate the design and construction achievements in the Cayman Islands showcasing the recipients of The Governor’s Award for Design and Construction Excellence. The presentation will highlight the winners of the award and focus on the architects, suppliers and construction teams involved on the most outstanding projects from 2015-2017. To advertise in this publication please contact your sales representative 949-5111 or email sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com GOVERNOR’S AWARD FOR DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION EXCELLENCE IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS 2017 SPECIAL PUBLICATION Publication: January 25, 2018 This publication contains a 4-page gloss cover and center spread. AD SP ACE DEADLINE: W ednesda y, January 10, 2018The 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. All children (and too many maids) hide things when they break them. And too often, when they get caught, they lie. A variation on that theme, of course, is to withhold crucial or critical information. Responsible and principled adults do not do this, and those in the public service – be they duly elected, duly appointed, or duly employed – MUST not do this. They are obligated to share the public’s business with the public. It is the public that owns public information, not the government or its representatives. And so, we were perplexed – and frustrated – when government, over the last several days, refused to answer this simple question: Has Department of Envi- ronmental Health Director Roydell Carter been sus- pended, as several media outlets (certainly not the Compass) have reported? The question – and the answer – leave no room for ambiguity. A simple “yes,” or “no” would do. Another news outlet, a website, stated categori- cally, but without evidence or proof, that Mr. Carter had been suspended from his position. The report also implied, but did not state directly, that mismanage- ment of public funds may have played a role. For legal reasons, the Compass will not repeat any of the language in the website report we are referring to. There is a precept in law that repeating libelous or defamatory language that is first published elsewhere can be, in itself, an offense. At press time yesterday, government finally issued a press statement declaring definitively that Mr. Carter has not been suspended. The statement, issued by Jennifer Ahearn, Chief Officer in the Ministry of Health, Environment, Culture and Housing, reads in full as follows: “Contrary to reports in the media, DEH Director Roydell Carter has not been suspended and there are no funds unaccounted for at DEH. Mr. Carter is cur- rently on leave, and Dr. Paulino Rodriguez is Acting Director in his absence.” No one is more pleased than we are – with the possible (likely) exception of Mr. Carter himself — for government’s finally issuing this clarifying statement. What took it so long? For days, Mr. Carter has been the apparent victim of news reports that the government now states, definitively, were untrue. (A second online media orga- nization made similar unsubstantiated remarks about Mr. Carter, but that posting appears to have been vol- untarily removed.) Unlike a private business, which may have proprie- tary reasons (and every right) not to discuss personnel matters (or, indeed, most matters) publicly, govern- ment enjoys no such rights of privacy. Government business is – by definition – the people’s business. As representatives of the public’s interest, government’s first impulse must be to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” Of course, we are not absolutist in this position. We understand, and respect, the reality that some gov- ernment issues must remain out of the public sphere. Examples might include ongoing contract negotiations, national security issues, cases before the court, and sometimes, but usually not, personnel matters. We can think of no valid reason why government delayed for so long its simple statement that Mr. Carter had not been suspended and that no funds have been unaccounted for at DEH. If government had received legal advice from its attorneys to respond to every inquiry on this matter with a “no comment,” we would suggest that govern- ment received bad advice and might want to start shopping around for smarter lawyers. They may need them, as might some media outlets, if Mr. Carter decides to sue. When withholding the truth has consequences TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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” GEORGE F. WILL GEORGE US needs balanced-budget amendment more than ever WASHINGTON – Today’s po- litical discord is less du- rable and dangerous than a consensus, one that unites the political class more than ideology divides it. The con- sensus is that year in and year out, in good times and bad, Americans should be given substantially more gov- ernment goods and services than they should be asked to pay for. Lamentations about the paucity of bipartisanship ignore the permanent, pow- erful incentive, which both parties share and indulge, to run enormous deficits, thereby making big govern- ment cheaper, for the mo- ment. Government borrows part of its costs; the bor- rowing’s burden falls on fu- ture generations. This is a form of expropriation – tax- ation without representation of the unborn. The federal debt held by the public was 39 percent of GDP 10 years ago; it is 75 per- cent today. Before last month’s tax changes, the debt was pro- jected to reach 91 percent in 10 years. No one knows if the tax changes will hasten this; no one should assume that they will not. No one knows at what percentage the debt’s deleterious effect on economic growth becomes severe; no sensible person doubts that there is such a point. We will discover that point the hard way, unless Con- gress promptly sends to the states for prompt ratification a constitutional amendment requiring balanced budgets. The amendment proposed by Glenn Hubbard, dean of Co- lumbia University’s business school, and Tim Kane, econ- omist at the Hoover Institu- tion at Stanford University, would limit each year’s total spending to the median an- nual revenue of the previous seven years, allowing tempo- rary deficits to be authorized in emergencies by congres- sional supermajorities. Because reverence for the Constitution is imperiled by tinkering with it, and be- cause the supply of ideas for improving Madison’s docu- ment always exceed soci- ety’s supply of Madisonian wisdom, the document should be amended rarely and reluc- tantly. Today, however, a bal- anced-budget amendment is required to counter two de- velopments: the abandon- ment of the original under- standing of the Constitution, and the death of the political morality that expressed that understanding. For approximately 140 years, the government was re- strained by the Constitution’s enumeration of its powers, which supposedly were “few and defined” (Madison, Fed- eralist 45). Before Congress acted it considered what James Q. Wilson called the “legitimacy barrier”: Did the Constitution empower the government to do this or that? As late as the 1950s, Congress at least feigned fealty to con- stitutional limits: When it wanted to build the interstate highway system and subsi- dize college students it re- ferred, if perfunctorily, to the enumerated responsibility for defense in naming the Na- tional Interstate and Defense Highways Act (1956) and the National Defense Education Act (1958). Wilson thought the legitimacy barrier’s col- lapse was complete in 1965 when Congress intruded into the quintessentially state and local responsibility with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Democracy generally, and especially legislative bar- gaining, is inherently addi- tive: Majorities are assembled by attracting components with particularized benefits. Christopher DeMuth, presi- dent emeritus of the Amer- ican Enterprise Institute, notes that from the Founding to the 1930s-1960s New Deal- Great Society era, this natural tendency of government to grow was inhibited by the bi- partisan political ethic: Defi- cits were neither prudent nor seemly except when “bor- rowing was limited to wars, other emergencies, and in- vestments such as territorial expansion and transporta- tion; and incurred debts were paid down diligently.” This tradition of bor- rowing for the future dissi- pated as government began routinely borrowing from the future in order to fi- nance current consumption of government goods and ser- vices. DeMuth argues that a balanced-budget amend- ment is required because of the transformation of gov- ernment from a provider of public goods (defense, infra- structure) to a provider of benefits (money and services) directly to individuals: Transfer payments are now about 70 percent of fed- eral spending. A constitu- tional amendment imposing congressional term limits would not obviate, but would lessen, the need for a bal- anced-budget amendment by diminishing the incentive to think of the next election rather than the next genera- tion. Unfortunately, the ca- reerism that makes term limits advisable means that Congress will also never vote for this version of Warren Buffett’s instant fix for defi- cits: When, absent a war or other emergency, the budget is not balanced, all congres- sional incumbents are ineli- gible for re-election. Critics of a balanced- budget amendment warn that Congress will evade it by means of creative book- keeping, stealthy spending through unfunded mandates on state governments and the private sector, the promis- cuous declarations of spu- rious “emergencies” and other subterfuges. Such critics in- advertently make the case for the amendment by assuming that the political class is un- trustworthy. And that the people’s representatives un- fortunately are representative of those who elect them. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group No one knows at what percentage the debt’s deleterious effect on economic growth becomes severe; no sensible person doubts that there is such a point.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2018 Arson victim being treated in Jamaica Some 80 members of the Ebanks family gather for the sixth family reunion. Ebanks family reunites in West Bay More than 80 family members of the late Ellen and James Ebanks from West Bay came together just before the new year for their sixth family reunion. The family members who at- tended the Dec. 30 gathering at the Sir John A. Cumber Primary School Hall were treated to a slideshow of more than 1,750 family photos, an art show by Mark and Matthew Ebanks, family tree trivia, fireworks, hymns, and carol singing. The day included much social- izing and catching up with family members of many generations. “Our Family Prayers were of- fered by our young people. It was awesome to see our young people come forward and offer prayers for our family in respect of their grand-, great grand-, great great grand- and even great great great grand- parents,” said Eziethamae Bodden, a great granddaughter of “Gramma Ellen” and “Grandpa Jim Jim.” Born in 1870 and 1873, respec- tively, James and Ellen had 10 chil- dren and 105 grandchildren, and now many more descendents. Ms. Bodden said several people attended the reunion for the first time, and some traveled from Tampa, Florida. The next reunion is scheduled for Dec. 29, 2018. Residents move back into burned house JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 52-year-old Jamaican woman who suffered severe burns in a suspected arson attack at a home in late De- cember is being treated for her injuries off island and continues to improve, the Ja- maican Consulate confirmed. Elaine Ricketts was flown overseas on Jan. 2, following the Dec. 27 fire at a small property behind Archie’s Bar on Shedden Road which left 12 people homeless. Police confirmed that they are investigating the case as a suspected arson. Ewaneo Hill, son of the burn victim, told the consulate he had visited his mother at the hospital in Jamaica, where she “is doing well and her con- dition continues to improve,” said Honorary Vice Consul Elaine Harris. Ms. Harris said she had been in contact with the vic- tim’s family, as well as other residents of the house who lost their homes in the fire. Three of the residents moved back into a part of the property that escaped the fire, yet received extensive water and smoke damage. The others have either moved in with family members or friends. “Most of the people were living there because they have nowhere else to stay,” said Constance Dixon, the 76-year-old owner of the house. “Somehow, they man- aged to clean up the other side of the house that was not destroyed.” Ms. Dixon said she had been receiving medical treat- ment in the United States when the fire took place. It was only after she returned home on Dec. 29 that she was told about the incident by her children. Sitting on the back porch of her home located a few yards from the house, Ms. Dixon watched as a truck scooped up burnt material. She said she is grateful no one died. “We have to help people. I am old now. If I can help anyone in the community, I will do that” she said. “I am more worried for the displaced people who don’t have anywhere to live. The house can be built back,” she added. Two women and a man were hospitalized following the fire. Two were later re- leased following treatment. “I see the gentleman that got burned every day. He’s coming on good,” Ms. Dixon said. Regarding rebuilding the home, Ms. Dixon said, “I would like to build it back. It’s a help to people.… The funds? That’s the thing. I don’t have it, but the good Lord will help me.” A truck scoops up items Monday from a house on Shedden Road that burned in late December. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Man charged for theft from cars sent to Mental Health Court CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man known to the court was remanded in custody Monday after being arrested over the weekend for crim- inal trespass and interference with a motor vehicle. The 46-year-old defendant was tested for drug use be- fore his appearance in Sum- mary Court. After the results were positive for cocaine, Magistrate Valdis Foldats in- dicated there would not be much point having any dis- cussion with someone under the influence of drugs. Defense attorney John Furniss said, “Unfortu- nately, I’m not surprised. That has been his problem in the past.” The magistrate noted from an older file that the defendant had previously been tested for drugs, held in custody, then released, then tested by a psychiatrist who found that he was “inca- pable of participating in his own defense.” The magistrate and Mr. Furniss discussed possible options and the attorney said he would not apply for bail. The magistrate then transferred the charges to the informal Mental Health Court which meets monthly, and remanded the defendant in custody. The Compass is not naming the defendant as the newspaper does not gen- erally identify individuals ap- pearing before the Mental Health Court. The most recent alleged offense occurred early Friday in West Bay. Police said a man had been found acting suspiciously while tres- passing on private property. He appeared to be attempting to gain entry to a vehicle parked there. He was also charged with two counts of theft relating to incidents which took place last year, both of which in- volve a quantity of cash being taken from parked vehicles. He is accused of stealing an unknown amount of money in an incident be- tween Sept. 18-20; and $20 in another incident on Sept. 19. POLICE: NO SIGN OF MISSING WEST BAY MAN The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service has received no word on a missing West Bay man more than a week after he was last seen. James Orville Ebanks, 56, was reported missing Friday, about a week after he was last seen, in the Marl Crest Road area of West Bay. Sometime between the morning of Dec. 29 and Dec. 30, Mr. Ebanks was seen in that area, wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans. Police said he has not returned home since Dec. 29-30 and officers are becoming worried about his safety. Anyone with information is asked to call West Bay Police Station at 949-3999, the RCIPS Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777 or Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS). James Orville Ebanks TASTE OF CAYMAN ACTS ANNOUNCED To entertain the tasters at the annual Taste of Cayman Food & Drink Festival, which is celebrating its 30th year this month, inter- national tribute per- formers Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Journey will be taking the stage. Organizers said the tribute acts would be ac- companied by a lineup of local bands, including Li- onfish and the return of Seven Miles Long. The food festival will be held at Festival Green in Camana Bay from 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27. Lynne Byles, managing director of event orga- nizer Tower, said, “Taste of Cayman has evolved into so much more than purely a culinary event. Not only do Cayman’s fa- vorite bars and restau- rants come together all in one place, the addition of the VIP area, experience room and kids area, com- bined with amazing live entertainment results in an unbeatable atmosphere and a real festival feel. “The entertainment at Taste of Cayman is al- ways a real highlight and we can’t wait until these amazing tribute acts and local talent take to the stage on the night.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY, JAN. 10 DVDL LATE HOURS: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing Crewe Road office will remain open longer on Wednesdays this month. The office will open as normal at 8:30 a.m. but close later at 7 p.m. All other days – Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays – the office will operate as usual from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. TUESDAY, JAN. 16 SEAFARERS: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association holds their yearly Council Nomination General Meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Ave. Prospect. Buses will be provided from West Bay Town Hall at 6 p.m. A bus route has been added in George Town, leaving the public library parking area at 7 p.m., stopping at the Cayman Compass building and the Airport Foster’s. The bus is marked Bobo $1 Public transport and is blue in color; there is no charge. THURSDAY, JAN. 18 PUB QUIZ: The Humane Society Quiz Night is 7 p.m. at Fidel’s. $10 per person. Teams maximum of six each. Reserve a table with Sarah at 949-5189 or sarah.dyer.81@gmail.com. FRIDAY, JAN. 19 CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING: Today is the last day to recycle natural Christmas trees, which the Department of Environmental Health will turn into mulch. All wires and ornaments should be removed from trees before they are placed into collection bins located at Ed Bush Stadium, West Bay; George Town Cricket Field; George Town landfill public drop-off area; Spotts Dock; Entrance of Frank Sound Road; Front of George Dixon Park, East End. MUZAIC: The annual DJ Showcase, organized by the Cayman Music and Entertainment Association, takes place at Margaritaville Bar and Restaurant from 5 p.m. $10 cover charge. SATURDAY, JAN. 20 FREE MULCH: Natural Christmas trees placed in collection bins by Jan. 19 will be shredded and made available as free mulch at the George Town Cricket Field today from around 8 a.m. Mulch will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents are invited to come out early and to bring their shovels and bags for the removal of the mulch. MUZAIC: Young Musicians Showcase, 1-5 p.m. at Harquail Theater. Free admission. Organized by Cayman Music and Entertainment Assoc. Musical Salute at Da Station Bar, 5 p.m. till midnight. SUNDAY, JAN. 21 FAMILY FUN DAY: The Annual Family Fun Day takes place at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, hosted by The Garden Club of Grand Cayman, in conjunction with the Botanic Park. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. $5 adult admission charge for the event gives full access to the park for the day. Children younger than 16 are admitted free. Activities include children’s lawn games, a magic show, a children’s craft table, a tombola, plant sale, children’s feel, touch & learn nature table, face painting and a butterfly trail. Refreshments for sale, including baked goods and juices. CMEA MUZAIC AWARDS: Ceremony takes place at Harquail Theater. Gates open at 6 p.m. MONDAY, JAN. 22 LIVE MUSICIANS SHOWCASE: Event organized by Cayman Music and Entertainment Assoc. at Margaritaville Bar and Restaurant, from 3 p.m. $10 cover charge. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 31 OVERSEAS SCHOLARSHIPS: Today is the deadline to apply for government overseas scholarships for the 2018/2019 academic year. Anyone planning to apply is invited to complete the Overseas Scholarship Application at www.education.gov.ky. Contact the Scholarships Secretariat for any further information at scholarships@gov.ky or 244-2482. GENERAL INTEREST LOBSTER SEASON: The open season for lobster runs from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. Bag limit is three per person per day or six per boat per day, whichever is less. Minimum size is a six-inch tail length. No taking lobsters from Marine Protected Areas. Only spiny lobster may be taken. No wearing gloves while snorkeling. No taking of lobster (or any marine life other than lionfish) while scuba diving. CONCH AND WHELK SEASON: The open season for conch and whelk runs from Nov. 1 to April 30. The legal limit for conch is five per person per day or 10 per boat, whichever is less. The limit for whelk catches is two-and- a-half gallons in the shell, or two-and-a-half pounds of processed whelks, per person, per day. SHAPED BY THE SEA: New exhibition at National Museum, Harbour Drive, celebrating Charles O. “Captain Chuckie” Ebanks. CAYMAN CRAFT: The exhibition, “Revive!” – Celebrating contemporary and traditional craft from the Cayman Islands, is open at the National Gallery. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at 68 Mary St. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc., in good condition always needed. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: The Thrift Shop opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed evenings. Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8 p.m., West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. OPEN CANVAS: Every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society supports this event at KARoo Restaurant located in Camana Bay. 7-11 p.m. No fee. Easels provided for artist of all levels to come out and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Email info@visualartcayman. com or jar.was@gmail.com. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@museum.ky. CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Mondays, 7 p.m. For details, contact Virginia Castillo at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., GT. All are invited to attend. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacyman.com. ROTARACT BLUE OF CAYMAN: Meets Wednesdays 6 p.m., at Royal Palms Beach Club, West Bay Road. Contact rotaractblue@gmail.com or www.rotaractblue.org. LEO CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 6:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, contact Secretary Letisha Allen at 924-2819. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30 p.m. at the Lions Community Centre. For more information, email LionsClubGCM@hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: Meet every first and third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Elizabethan Square (corner unit next to the MLA’s office). Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7 a.m. every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. website at www.rotarysunrise.ky or contact info@rotarysunrise.ky. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30 p.m., at Britannia Golf Course Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. OPTIMIST CLUB: Meets first and third Thursdays at the Hibiscus Conference Room, George Town Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Email optimistcayman@yahoo.com. THE MODEL AIRPLANE FLYING CLUB: Meets Sundays 2 p.m. at the J. Bodden Marlpit/Old Raceway. Call 916–2327. PARENT AND TODDLER PLAY GROUP: For children from 2 weeks to 4 years. Meets Mondays 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the South Sound Community Centre. Children must be accompanied by parent or helper. Toys, activities, light refreshments provided. $6 per session per family. Email sspg@foxwood.ky. HEARTS THROUGH HANDS: Meets Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. to noon at The Family Life Centre, Room 10, Academy Way. Women make crafts for charity and missions. Call 946–3067 or 947–1863. THE WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTRE: Breastfeeding Clinics every Thursday 10 a.m. to noon in the Women’s Health Centre. No appointments, no fees. Phone 244–2649. CAYMAN BRIDGE CLUB: Meets Tuesdays 7 p.m. at Comfort Suites, West Bay Road; Fridays, 9 a.m. at the Rugby Club. For further information, contact Helen Haines at 947-3217 or Alex Wood at 947-3693. BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S CLUB: Meets third Wednesday of every month, Governors Square Boardroom at 5:30 p.m. Visit www.facebook.com/ BPWGrandCayman. BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT GROUP: MothertoMother meetings first Tuesday of every month, 3-4 p.m. outside Women’s Health Centre at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Children welcome. Contact Women’s Health Centre at 244-2649. LIFE UNDERWRITERS ASSOCIATION: Meeting luncheons held on last Thursday of each month. YBPW: Meets every third Monday of each month at the Woman’s Resource Centre. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. The Annual Family Fun Day takes place at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park on Jan. 21.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2018 The Department of En- vironmental Health has also faced criticism in the past few weeks over the number of derelict cars dumped around the com- munity, since it stopped accepting them at the landfill site. Much of the responsi- bility for landfill and waste management in Cayman will be outsourced to the private sector within the next few years as govern- ment embarks on a part- nership with a consortium of companies, led by the Dart group, to build and operate a suite of new fa- cilities, including a recy- cling center and waste-to- energy plant. and plumbing works. Scott’s Equipment offered fill and machinery at dis- counted prices, while Vigoro and Sterling Global Finan- cial donated landscape de- sign. Corporate Electric re- duced costs on electrical works as did MJS Plumbing and Caribbean Impact Win- dows and Doors. Flowers Block offered a 10 percent discount on building materials, and National Con- crete supplied the project at cost. Home Gas donated two instant water heaters. Gov- ernment waived duties on imported materials. Industrial Services & Equipment drilled wells gratis, First Class Construc- tion discounted building- structure services and Lydia Uzzell Interior De- sign contributed interior de- sign. Island Heritage and Aon donated ongoing insur- ance policies. Finally, as latter stages of construction begin, Cayman Islands Roofing has re- duced its prices. “At the moment, the struc- ture has been built up to belting beam and we are looking to start installa- tion of roof trusses later this month,” said Nancy Lewis, Cayman HospiceCare board member and chairwoman of its building committee, “and we are currently working on the fit-out requirements, floors, ceilings, finishes, blinds, lighting, furniture cabinets, counters, paneling and other indoor features. “In terms of comple- tion, we are estimating by end of August we will be done,” she added. The administrative area will be separated from the four-bed inpatient unit. “Most of the building,” Ms. Lewis said, would be “taken up by a home-like set- ting, with four private pa- tient rooms, a common mul- tipurpose room, living room, meditation/quiet room and a kitchen. We also plan to have a very welcoming garden for patients and visitors.” Operating costs at Hospi- ceCare are pegged at roughly $1,800 per day. The nonprofit receives $50,000 per year from government, but relies on donations to provide most of its palliative-care services – clinical volunteer programs, a lunch club, music therapy, animal therapy, art therapy, counseling, yoga, therapeutic massage, reiki, acupuncture and a bereavement program – to patients and families. Dart’s land donation means the charity will save nearly $72,000 in annual rent. HospiceCare nurses and caregivers also make nearly 4,000 home visits per year, serving between 25 and 35 patients at any given time. Notable among the sources of funding for the new premises is Dart secu- rity chief and former RCIPS detective Derek Haines, who donated $1.35 million to the project after run- ning six fundraising mara- thons in 2014. “In addition, additional fundraising is ongoing and as shown above, local vendors are donating time and mate- rials as well,” Ms. Lewis said. HospiceCare Chairman and Dart’s Community Devel- opment Vice President Chris Duggan told the Cayman Compass, “Cayman Hospi- ceCare is thankful for the continued support of the community and excited to see the progress on our new facility. “The new hospice will help us to better serve this community and provide in- creased compassionate care to all of the Cayman Islands.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 HospiceCare looks to August completion The 6,000 square-foot building is scheduled to open in August. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY POLICE WARN OF FINANCIAL SCAM TARGETING JOB-SEEKERS The Financial Crime Unit of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is- sued a public advisory Monday regarding em- ployment scams targeting people seeking work in the nursing and hospi- tality industries. Police warned the public about a similar scam last year. Job-seekers have been responding to advertise- ments on social media for positions in nursing or hospitality, and the no- tices promise assistance with plane fare and permit fees. But the hotels named in those advertisements ei- ther do not exist or have no knowledge of the ser- vices advertised. Job-seekers have been asked to send funds to people in the Cayman Is- lands under the guise of obtaining a work permit. The fraudulent scheme is believed to be based in Ja- maica, with people here in Cayman receiving the funds and then sending them on to individuals in Jamaica. The perpetrators of the fraud use social network sites like Facebook, Tagged, Tango and Badoo to engage job-seekers under false pretenses. Once they have made contact, they ask for bank account numbers to facilitate the transaction or they send the job-seeker to Western Union. The police have noti- fied the public that the individual running the scam has used the names Odiki Mandalay and Carlos Chung as the pur- ported owner of Hotel Grand Cayman, which does not exist. The scammer may also be using other names, so the Financial Crime Unit wants people on social networks not to engage in conversations or do “fa- vors” for people they don’t already know. Police urge any members of the public who has been approached by the scammer or have unknowingly participated in the movement of funds as part of this fraud to contact the Financial Crime Unit at 949-8797 or Crime Stoppers at 800-8477(TIPS). Gov’t: Roydell Carter not suspended CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Pence to visit Middle East this month following postponement WASHINGTON (AP) – Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Egypt, Jordan and Israel this month after post- poning a trip to the Middle East in December following President Donald Trump’s de- cision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the White House announced Monday. Pence’s trip to the Middle East will insert him into a debate over the role of the U.S. in any future peace pro- cess between Israel and the Palestinians and follows Trump’s apparent threats to cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority. The president last week ques- tioned why the U.S. should make “any of these massive future payments” when the Palestinians are “no longer willing to talk peace.” The White House said Pence will travel to the region Jan. 19-23, starting with a meeting in Cairo with Egyp- tian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Pence will also confer with King Abdullah II of Jordan and then hold two days of meetings and events in Israel. Pence’s agenda in Is- rael includes meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- tanyahu and President Re- uven Rivlin, an address to the Knesset and visits to the Western Wall and the Yad Vashem Holocaust me- morial. The White House said Pence will address the need to combat terrorism and help persecuted reli- gious minorities. Trump, along with United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, have been questioning future aid to the Palestin- ians as part of the fallout of Trump’s recognition of Jeru- salem and using the aid as le- verage until the Palestinians show a willingness to come back to the negotiation table. Pence postponed his visit to Israel and Egypt in mid-December because of a Senate vote on Trump’s tax overhaul. But Pence’s trip to the Middle East, his first as vice president, will be care- fully watched following Trump’s decision on Isra- el’s capital, which prompted Palestinian leaders to cancel planned meetings with the vice president. Ilan Goldenberg, director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, said the recent movements by the Trump administration have been “inconsistent with the ‘cooling off period’” cited by the White House. “In some ways, this trip could now become the mo- ment where the Trump ad- ministration finally walks away from the notion of a se- rious peace negotiation and just goes full in with the Is- raelis,” Goldenberg said. Alyssa Farah, a Pence spokeswoman, said Pence was traveling to the Middle East at Trump’s direction “to reaffirm our commitment to work with the U.S.’s al- lies in the region to defeat radicalism that threatens future generations.” Farah said Pence was “looking for- ward to meeting with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and Israel to discuss ways to work together to fight ter- rorism and improve our na- tional security.” Pence is not expected to meet with the Palestinians, who have sought to make Is- rael-annexed east Jerusalem their capital. Before Trump’s announce- ment, Palestinian Presi- dent Mahmoud Abbas had planned to meet with Pence in the biblical town of Beth- lehem but pulled out of the meeting in protest. The White House decision on Jerusalem also prompted leading Muslim and Chris- tian clerics in Egypt to refuse to meet with the vice presi- dent in Cairo. Pence is ex- pected to meet only with el- Sissi, a leading Trump ally, while in Egypt. The status of Jerusalem has long been a central issue in the decadeslong Is- raeli-Palestinian conflict. Trump’s announcement in early December declaring Je- rusalem to be Israel’s cap- ital along with U.S. plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv shook up decades of U.S. for- eign policy ahead of Pence’s planned visit. The approach has pushed back against an international consensus that Jerusalem’s status should be decided in negotiations between Is- rael and the Palestinians and comes as Trump has vowed to press forward with plans to help broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians. In the aftermath, Arab states have said they will push for international rec- ognition of east Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. The U.N. General Assembly in 2012 overwhelmingly rec- ognized a state of Palestine in lands Israel captured in 1967, including east Jeru- salem, as an observer state, but many Western coun- tries stopped short of bilat- eral recognition. The trip to Jordan will put Pence face to face with Abdullah, an American ally who has warned that the rec- ognition of Jerusalem as Is- rael’s capital has threatened the resumption of any peace talks. Jordan has a large population of Palestinian or- igin, and the king serves as guardian of the third ho- liest site of Islam, located in east Jerusalem. Vice President Mike Pence waves as he walks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS US hits record cost for weather disasters America hit a record high bill last year for weather disasters: $306 billion. NOAA said Monday that the U.S. had 16 billion-dollar disasters last year. That ties 2011 for the number of billion-dollar disasters, but the total cost blew past the previous record of $215 billion in 2005. US to end special protections for Salvadoran immigrants WASHINGTON (AP) – The Trump administra- tion is ending special pro- tections for Salvadoran immigrants, forcing nearly 200,000 to leave the country or face deportation, offi- cials said Monday. El Salvador is the fourth country whose citizens have lost Temporary Pro- tected Status under Presi- dent Donald Trump, and they have been, by far, the largest beneficiaries of the program, which provides humanitarian relief for foreigners whose countries are hit with natural disasters or other strife. Two U.S. officials dis- cussed the decision on con- dition of anonymity with The Associated Press because they were not authorized to speak publicly ahead of the announcement. One official said Salvadorans will have until September 2019 to leave the country or adjust their legal status. Homeland Security Sec- retary Kirstjen Nielsen’s de- cision, while not surprising, will send shivers through parts of Washington, Los Angeles, New York, Houston and other metropolitan areas that are home to large num- bers of Salvadorans, who have enjoyed special protec- tion since earthquakes struck the Central American country in 2001. Many have estab- lished deep roots in the U.S., starting families and busi- nesses over decades. It also represents a se- rious challenge for El Sal- vador, a country of 6.2 mil- lion people whose economy depends on remittances from wage earners in the U.S. Over the last decade, growing numbers of Sal- vadorans – many coming as families or unaccompa- nied children – have entered the United States illegally through Mexico, fleeing vio- lence and poverty. In September 2016, the Obama administration ex- tended protections for 18 months, saying El Salvador suffered lingering harm from the 2001 earthquakes that killed more than 1,000 people and was temporarily un- able to absorb such a large number of people. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen faced a Monday deadline to decide whether to grant another extension. El Salvador President Sal- vador Sanchez Ceren spoke by phone Friday with Nielsen to renew his plea to ex- tend status for 190,000 Sal- vadorans and allow more time for Congress to deliver a long-term fix for them to stay in the U.S. The decision comes amid intensifying talks be- tween the White House and Congress on an immigra- tion package that may in- clude protections for hun- dreds of thousands of young immigrants who came to the country as children and were temporarily shielded from deportation under an Obama-era program. Trump said in September that he was ending Deferred Ac- tion for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, but gave Congress until March to act. The U.S. created Tem- porary Protected Status in 1990 to provide a safe haven from countries affected by earthquakes, floods, hurri- canes, war and other disas- ters, and it currently shields nearly 320,000 people from 10 countries. There are nearly 440,000 beneficiaries from the 10 countries, including 263,000 from El Salvador, but many have obtained legal status other ways. The benefit, which in- cludes work authoriza- tion, can be renewed up to 18 months at a time by the Homeland Security secretary. Critics say it has proved any- thing but temporary – with many beneficiaries staying years after the initial justifi- cation applies. Nielsen said last week that short-term extensions are not the answer. “Getting them to a per- manent solution is a much better plan than having them live six months to 12 months to 18 months,” she told the AP. In November, Nielsen’s predecessor, acting Secre- tary Elaine Duke, ended the protection for Haitians, re- quiring about 50,000 to leave or adjust their legal status by July 22, 2019, and for Nica- raguans, giving about 2,500 until Jan. 5, 2019. She de- layed a decision affecting more than 50,000 Hondu- rans, foisting the decision onto Nielsen. Last year, the Trump ad- ministration extended status for South Sudan and ended it for Sudan. Other countries covered are Nepal, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. President Donald Trump, accompanied by Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, speaks during a meeting Thursday with Republican Senators on immigration in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C. - PHOTO: AP UK’s Northern Ireland Secretary quits as May shuffles Cabinet posts LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Theresa May started the new po- litical year Monday with a Cabinet shake-up, hoping to re-energize her government as negotiations on Brit- ain’s divorce from the Eu- ropean Union enter a cru- cial new phase. But May, who heads a mi- nority government divided over Brexit, had only limited room for change. The most senior government ministers, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Brexit Secre- tary David Davis, Home Sec- retary Amber Rudd and Trea- sury chief Philip Hammond, all kept their jobs. Her decision to keep them in post is in part a reflec- tion of May’s need to balance Brexit-backing ministers like Johnson and Davis with more pro-EU politicians such as Hammond and Rudd. While Brexit divisions have restricted May’s room for maneuver, she is looking to make her Conservative government more representa- tive of Britain by promoting more women, people from ethnic minorities and re- cently elected lawmakers to leadership posts. Her shuffle was com- plicated by the resigna- tion of the U.K.’s minister for Northern Ireland amid a long-running political crisis in Belfast. James Brokenshire said he was quitting because he is about to have surgery for a lesion on his lung and will need time to recover. In a letter to May, Bro- kenshire said the operation meant he would not “be able to give the effort, energy and complete focus needed at this important time.” Northern Ireland’s power- sharing administration has been suspended for a year amid a stalemate between the main Irish nationalist and British unionist parties. The parties in Belfast have missed several government- imposed deadlines to restore power sharing, and Northern Ireland faces direct rule from London if a solution is not found soon. The status of the border between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland also remains a major issue in Brexit negotiations. Britain and the EU are set to begin discussing their future relations, with just over a year to go until the U.K. leaves the bloc on March 29, 2019. May hopes to secure agreement on a post-Brexit transition period by the end of March and to draft a with- drawal agreement by the end of the year. As Parliament returned from its Christmas break Monday, May summoned ministers to 10 Downing St. to be moved, promoted or demoted. She removed Patrick McLoughlin, who as Con- servative Party chairman oversaw last year’s disas- trous election campaign. The party lost its majority in Par- liament after May called a snap election aimed at con- solidating her grip on power and strengthening her hand in Brexit talks with the EU. McLoughlin was replaced by Brandon Lewis, a former immigration minister. May lost a key Cabinet ally before Christmas, when her de facto deputy Damian Green was forced to resign for making misleading state- ments about pornography found on his office computer. His role as May’s chief lieutenant was filled by David Lidington, who bears the grand title of minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. May is set to con- tinue shuffling government ranks on Tuesday. In a letter to May, Brokenshire said the operation meant he would not “be able to give the effort, energy and complete focus needed at this important time.” Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May returns to 10 Downing Street ahead of an expected Cabinet reshuffle in London, Monday. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JANUARY 9, 2018 BEIJING (AP) — French Pres- ident Emmanuel Macron said Monday he hopes to forge a partnership with China on climate, security and other is- sues during a visit to expand European ties with Beijing. The trip comes as Brit- ain’s impending departure from the EU and the more in- ward-looking policies of U.S. President Donald Trump have raised the prospect of a pos- sible realignment of global influence. China and France have promoted themselves as leaders on global warming after Trump pulled out of the Paris climate agreement. “I hope to strengthen our mutual trust during this visit and to use the five years of my term in office to promote Franco-Chinese relations and European-Chinese relations,” said Macron, standing with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, ahead of a meeting at a government guesthouse. Macron said he wanted to “strengthen collective secu- rity” and promote joint ef- forts to fight climate change. Xi welcomed Macron in unusually effusive lan- guage. He noted France was the first Western country to form diplomatic ties with the Communist Beijing govern- ment and recalled that then- President Charles de Gaulle and Chinese leader Mao Ze- dong met in 1964. “China and France are both great countries with splendid histories and the exchange and influence be- tween us has deep histor- ical significance for the world,” Xi said. During their meeting, Ma- cron and Xi discussed cli- mate change, Chinese-French relations and Xi’s “Belt and Road Initiative” to build rail- ways and other infrastruc- ture across Asia and Europe, state television reported. The French leader said ahead of the meeting he wanted to talk about North Korea and fighting terrorist financing, but there was no imme- diate word on whether those were discussed. Despite their public warmth, Macron’s visit is overshadowed by mounting trade tensions. Britain’s departure from the EU will deprive Beijing of a prominent ally in op- posing demands for tougher European anti-dumping mea- sures against low-cost Chi- nese products. Other EU members in- cluding France and Ger- many are pressing Beijing to give their companies reci- procity, or the same access to its state-dominated economy that Chinese companies enjoy abroad. Macron, traveling with a French business delegation, wants to secure deals his government hopes will pro- duce greater access to Chi- na’s growing market. The two governments are expected to announce a Franco-Chinese investment fund of more than $1.2 billion. China is France’s biggest Asian trading partner but the French side reported a $36 billion trade deficit last year. Earlier Monday, Macron began his visit in the western city of Xi’an, where he said he would propose to Xi a joint “year of ecological tran- sition” to mobilize their gov- ernments and companies. “I will ask President Xi to take a new step in our French-Chinese relationship, to engage in a climate battle,” Macron said in a speech. Macron said France could help, especially in Africa, with “Belt and Road,” Xi’s signature foreign initiative. “France has the experience of unilateral imperialism in Africa, which sometimes led to the worst,” he said. “And today, with the new Silk Road being created, I think that the partnership between France and China can avoid re- peating these mistakes.” The French Development Agency and the state-run China Development Bank are to sign a cooperation agreement for co-financing of projects to fight climate change in Africa. British Prime Minister Theresa May is to visit Bei- jing this month as part of her government’s effort to nur- ture a new global role fol- lowing its departure from the EU in 2019. That comes after a British-Chinese economic di- alogue in December at which the two sides pledged to pro- mote London as a center for transactions in China’s yuan currency. Also this week, a former British prime minister, David Cameron, is sched- uled to meet Chinese leaders as head of a 750 million pound ($1 billion) fund to invest in railways, ports and other facilities between China and Britain. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte are given a tour during a visit to the Great Mosque of Xian in northern China on Monday. - PHOTO: AP SYRIAN TROOPS CAPTURE 14 VILLAGES FROM REBELS BEIRUT (AP) – Syrian gov- ernment forces captured 14 villages on Monday as they advance on the largest rebel-held enclave in the country’s north amid a wave of airstrikes. Syrian government forces and their allies have been on the offensive since late October in Hama and Idlib provinces, capturing nearly 100 villages from in- surgent groups, including the al-Qaida-linked Le- vant Liberation Committee. The offensive intensified on Christmas Day after rein- forcements were brought in from other parts of Syria. The main aim of the troops is to reach the rebel- held Abu Zuhour air base and secure the road linking the capital, Damascus, with the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest. Rebels cap- tured Abu Zuhour in 2015 after a three-year siege. The government-con- trolled Syrian Central Mili- tary Media said the newly captured villages, include Freija, Jahman, Dawoudiyeh and Jub al-Qasab, bring the troops closer to the air base. The SCMM and the oppo- sition’s Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that 14 villages have been captured over the past hours. The offensive in the southern parts of Idlib province comes amid in- tense airstrikes and shelling that have killed 21 people since Sunday, according to the Observatory. Clashes also erupted Monday near the Damascus suburb of Harasta, after govern- ment forces reached troops trapped for more than a week in a military base sur- rounded by insurgents. State media said the Syrian army broke through rebel lines Sunday to reach soldiers trapped at the Mu- rakabat vehicle base near Harasta, in the eastern Ghouta suburbs. Oil tanker burning off China’s coast at risk of exploding BEIJING (AP) – An oil tanker that caught fire after colliding with a freighter off China’s east coast is at risk of ex- ploding and sinking, Chinese state media reported Monday, as authorities from three countries struggled to find its 32 missing crew members and contain oil spewing from the blazing wreck. State broadcaster China Central Television, citing Chinese officials, said none of the 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis who have been missing since the colli- sion late Saturday had been found as of 8 a.m. Monday. Search and cleanup efforts have been hampered by fierce fires and poisonous gases that have engulfed the tanker and surrounding waters, CCTV reported. The Panama-regis- tered tanker Sanchi was sailing from Iran to South Korea when it collided with the Hong Kong-registered freighter CF Crystal in the East China Sea, 257 kilome- ters (160 miles) off the coast of Shanghai, China’s Ministry of Transport said. China, South Korea and the U.S. have sent ships and planes to search for the San- chi’s crew, all of whom re- main missing. The U.S. Navy, which sent a P-8A aircraft from Okinawa, Japan, to aid the search, said late Sunday that none of the missing crew had been found. All 21 crew members of the Crystal, which was car- rying grain from the United States to China, were rescued, the Chinese ministry said. The Crystal’s crew members were all Chinese nationals. It was not immedi- ately clear what caused the collision. Kwon Yong-deok, a Korea Coast Guard official, said thick black smoke was still billowing from the ship on Monday afternoon and bad weather was worsening vis- ibility at the scene. The Sanchi was carrying 136,000 metric tons (150,000 tons, or nearly 1 million bar- rels) of condensate, a type of ultra-light oil, according to Chinese authorities, who have dispatched three ships to clean the spill. By comparison, the Exxon Valdez was carrying 1.26 mil- lion barrels of crude oil when it spilled 260,000 barrels into Prince William Sound off Alaska in 1989, badly dam- aging local ecology and the area’s fishing-based economy. But the size of the oil slick from the Sanchi – and the scale of the environmental toll – may be smaller. Unlike the thick crude that gushed out of the Valdez, much of the light, gassy condensate from the Sanchi may have evap- orated or burned immedi- ately, Kwon said. The Sanchi’s own fuel that leaked during the colli- sion will be more difficult to clean, officials said. South Korean petro- chemical company Hanwha Total Co., a 50-50 partner- ship between the Seoul- based Hanwha Group and French oil giant Total, said in an email to the AP it had contracted the Sanchi to im- port Iranian condensate to South Korea. A spokesman for Hanwha Total, who asked not to be named, citing office policies, said there is “little possi- bility” that condensate would leave traces in the ocean after it burned. He added the losses would be covered by an insurance company. The Sanchi’s cargo was es- timated to be worth more than $60 million. Syrian White Helmet civil defense forces attempt to extinguish a fire Sunday following a bombing that targeted the office of Ajnad al-Koukaz, a militant group consisting of foreign fighters mostly from the Caucuses and Russia, in Idlib, Syria. - PHOTO: AP Macron appeals to China for partnership on climate, AfricaNext >