ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2018 Premier Health This is what smart health insurance feels like! Just over 6 out of 10 local and 8 out of 10 US claims are submitted electronically and 95% of claims are settled in 5 working days. British Caymanian Insurance Agencies Limited acts solely as an agent on behalf of Colonial Medical Insurance Company Limited and it does not act as an insurance broker on behalf of its customers. Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky cgigrp BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE AGENCIES LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. : insurance, health, pensions, life Tennis star makes waves in Cayman JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com As one of the world’s best tennis players, Caroline Wozniacki has faced almost every challenge the game has to offer. But Tuesday on Seven Mile Beach, the Danish superstar had a new obstacle to overcome – an oppo- nent in jet boots. Ms. Wozniacki, the reigning Australian Open Champion, rallied with flyboard in- structor Taylor West of SWS Cayman. The stunt was part of an appearance by the tennis star who has a sponsor- ship agreement with the Kimpton’s Resi- dences at Seafire. Ms. Wozniacki met with fans on the beach, signed tennis balls and took part in a “beach bullseye challenge,” trying to hit tar- gets in the water with a tennis ball. Even for someone who has graced the most prestigious arenas in the game, she ad- mits there were a few nerves as she took to the purpose-built stage outside the resort. “It was a lot of pressure and I didn’t hit it [the target] till the last ball I had left. It was fun though. I was close to the target many times but I finally hit it on the last shot,” she said. Scores of children, vacationers and locals got a chance to meet the tennis champ and have a go at hitting the target themselves. “Everyone had a lot of fun,” Ms. Wozniacki said. “There was a kid who hit the target on his second go, which was pretty impressive.” Governor Choudhury explores Grand Cayman One advantage to being the governor in a tourist destination is get- ting to play the tourist. Governor Anwar Choudhury continued familiarizing himself with Grand Cayman this week by visiting some of the island’s popular spots, including the George Town fish market, Bodden Town’s Mission House and the Cayman Crystal Caves in North Side. Mr. Choudhury showed he was not afraid to get his hands dirty, taking the opportunity to gut a fish while talking with the local fishermen. At the Mission House, he learned about some of the local history from former Speaker of the House Mary Lawrence and members of the Bodden Town Heritage Committee. He also visited the adjacent Nurse Josie Senior Centre. Later, he slipped underground to see the stalactites, stalagmites and subterranean pools of the Crystal Caves. Officials who also participated in the tour included Deputy Gov- ernor Franz Manderson, MLAs Kenneth Bryan, Dwayne Seymour, An- thony Eden, Alva Suckoo and Chris Saunders, and Leader of the Oppo- sition Ezzard Miller. Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki rallies with Taylor West, hovering ten feet above the ocean on a flyboard. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » The Cayman Crystal Caves was the last stop on Governor Anwar Choudhury’s tour of some of Grand Cayman’s popular tourist destinations on Tuesday, April 3.2 LOCAL&REGIONAL THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets ACRIMONY (R) 1:00 I 7:00 I 9:50 PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST (PG13) 1:15 I 3:50 I 6:30 I 9:05 TOMB RAIDER (PG13) 1:25 I 4:10 I 9:55 BLACK PANTHER (PG13) 12:50 VIP I 3:55 I 6:55 I 9:45 PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING 3D (PG13) 1:40 2D I 3:50 2D VIP I 4:20 I 6:35 2D VIP 7:15 2D I 9:10 2D VIP SHERLOCK GNOMES (PG) 2:40 I 7:25 PETER RABBIT (PG) 12:20 I 4:55 I 9:35 Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 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. - THURSDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) MISSING CRUISE SHIP STAFFER FOUND IN WEST BAY HEALTH REGULATOR INVESTIGATING PRIVATE AMBULANCE SERVICE POLICE NAME MAN WHO DIED IN FISHING INCIDENT SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Yusmaidys Ortiz Perez, the Cuban national who went missing from a cruise ship on March 22, has been located by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. Ms. Perez, 34, was lo- cated on Tuesday in West Bay and is currently in po- lice custody pending an in- vestigation by the Immigra- tion Department. Ms. Perez is a crew member on the Panama- registered MSC Opera, which arrived in Grand Cayman’s port on March 22 and departed later the same day. Ms. Perez did not board the ship in time for its departure and was missing for a week be- fore the police found her in good health. The Immigration De- partment is investigating the circumstances sur- rounding her disappear- ance and will determine whether charges will ulti- mately be brought. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service is- sued a public advisory regarding Ms. Perez on March 28 and asked the public for any information it might have regarding her whereabouts. A medical business that provides ambulance ser- vices to Health City has been forced to suspend opera- tions pending an investiga- tion from the Health Prac- tice Commission. Cayman Islands MedEvac Ltd. has been ordered to “cease and desist” all services until further notice from the commission, the regulator for healthcare in the territory. A letter sent to all reg- istered healthcare facilities simply states that the com- mission “found it necessary to conduct an investigation” into the business and includes no further details. Neither Cayman Islands MedEvac or Health City wished to comment. The Health Practice Commis- sion did not respond to re- quests for comment. Dorriel McLean, a 76-year-old resident of West Bay, was identified by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Wednesday as the man who passed away Monday after getting into difficulty while fishing in North Side. Mr. McLean was ini- tially aided by family mem- bers before the police ar- rived, and then he was taken to the Cayman Is- lands Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Yusmaidys Ortiz Perez Cayman Islands MedEvac Ltd. has been ordered to “cease and desist” all services until further notice from the commission. Ms. Perez did not board the ship in time for its departure and was missing for a week before the police found her in good health. Tensions high in Brazil as top court to decide Lula’s fate RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – The possible imprisonment of former Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva – who leads most presidential elec- tion polls – caused rising ten- sions Wednesday after the army commander appeared to tweet subtle support for da Silva’s incarceration and authorities in several cities braced for demonstra- tions for and against the ex-president. The country’s top court was scheduled to consider a petition by da Silva to stay out of prison while he con- tinues to appeal a convic- tion for corruption. The de- cision could radically alter October’s presidential elec- tion and even affect sta- bility in Latin America’s largest nation. Gen. Eduardo Villas Boas posted two Tuesday night tweets that many inter- preted as a form of pressure on the 11 justices on the Su- preme Federal Tribunal and a veiled threat of intervention. Such concerns are taken seri- ously in a country that expe- rienced a 1964-1985 military dictatorship. “In Brazil’s current situ- ation, it’s worth asking our institutions and the people who is really thinking about what is best for the country and future generations, and who is only worried about their personal interests?” he wrote in one tweet. In a second tweet, Boas wrote that he shared peo- ple’s anxiousness and “repu- diated impunity.” O Globo, one of the coun- try’s leading dailies, criticized the comments, saying in a Wednesday editorial that a military chief should “not be opining over judicial and po- litical questions.” In a statement to O Globo, Gen. Joaquim Silva e Luna, the defense minister, said that Boas’ intention was to assure people that force would not be used. Da Silva, who was once wildly popular after his two terms as president from 2003 to 2010, has become a po- larizing figure amid a mas- sive corruption scandal that has roiled Brazil the last sev- eral years and made average citizens furious with the po- litical class. Da Silva was convicted last year of helping a con- struction company get sweet- heart contracts in exchange for the promise of a beach- front apartment. The con- viction was handed down by Judge Sergio Moro, who is presiding over cases in- volving the so-called “Car Wash” investigation. Moro is hailed as a hero by many while detrac- tors consider him a par- tisan hit man. Da Silva has always main- tained his innocence, saying this case as well as several other corruption charges that have yet to be tried are at- tempts to keep him off the presidential ballot. Despite the legal troubles that have angered some Brazilians, da Silva leads preference polls to return to office. While da Silva, known simply as “Lula” to Brazil- ians, has further appeals available, he could be forced under Brazilian law to begin serving his sentence, which Moro and the other judges have ordered. At this point, da Silva’s last and best hope of staying out of jail – and keeping his re-election hopes alive – is the Supreme Federal Tribunal. Da Silva’s lawyers argue their client has a consti- tutional right to stay out of jail until all appeals are exhausted. However, in an unrelated case in 2016, the Supreme Federal Tribunal disagreed with that logic, ruling that a convict could start serving a sentence after a first ap- peal was denied. How the justices will rule this time is anybody’s guess, as the case involves a former president who con- tinues to have a wide fol- lowing in a deeply polar- ized nation. Throughout all the legal battles, da Silva has been campaigning na- tionwide, criticizing detrac- tors and promising not to give up. Last week, while campaigning in the southern state of Parana, where Moro convicted him, two buses in his caravan where hit with bullets. Nobody was hurt. Chief Justice Carmen Lucia initially did not re- spond to da Silva’s peti- tion. But a few weeks ago she changed course amid intense pressure, calling a court session that was then postponed until after the Easter holiday. With emotions running high, earlier this week Lucia urged Brazilians to calmly accept whatever was decided. “We live in times of in- tolerance and intransigence against people and institu- tions,” she said. “For this very reason, this is a time when one must ask for serenity. Se- renity so that ideological dif- ferences are not a source of social disorder.” Demonstrators place a banner in support of former Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the Espalanade of the Ministries, in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday. – PHOTO: AP New Peruvian President names Cabinet LIMA, Peru (AP) – New Presi- dent Martin Vizcarra swore in a Cabinet on Monday that aims to continue the pro-busi- ness policies of his disgraced predecessor while seeking to ease political tensions. Vizcarra’s key political op- erator will be Prime Minister Caesar Villanueva, a former governor and lawmaker who promised a government fo- cused on resolving social problems in Peru’s long-ne- glected interior. David Tuesta, an econo- mist with a regional devel- opment bank, was named fi- nance minister, a sign Vizcarra intends to pursue a conserva- tive, pro-business agenda. Vizcarra, who was vice president, took over the pres- idency last month from Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. The former Wall Street investor resigned as he faced threats of im- peachment from a hostile congress probing allegations he received almost $800,000 in payments a decade ago from Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction company at the center of a widespread Latin American corruption scandal. Some of the Cabinet picks could bring controversy. New Justice Minister Sal- vador Heresi is a former law- maker who spoke repeat- edly in favor of Kuczynski’s widely criticized decision to give a pardon on medical grounds to former Peruvian strongman Alberto Fujimori. The Inter-American Court on Human Rights is expected to rule in the coming months on whether the early release of Fujimori from a 25-year sentence for abuses com- mitted during his decade- long rule is valid. Kuczynski is widely be- lieved to have pardoned Fu- jimori in a failed attempt to save his presidency. Con- gress is dominated by a po- litical party run by Fujimo- ri’s daughter.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2018 Join the Excitement! REGISTRATION: April 12th • George Town Yacht Club • 5pm - 7pm TOURNAMENT: April 14th & 15th • 7am - 4pm WEIGH STATION: Barcadere Marina • 4pm - 6pm PRIZE GIVING: April 16th • George Town Yacht Club • 6pm - 8pm 1ST PRIZE: $5000 CASH PLUS A TUDOR WATCH 2nd $2000 CASH 3rd $1000 CASH Learn more or download a registration form at kirkslam.ky The only all-dolphin fishing tournament in the Cayman Islands returns with fun for the whole family. KIRK SLAM TOURNAMENT DATES Join the Excitement! Join the Excitement! Join the REGISTRATION: April 12th • George Town Yacht Club • 5pm - 7pm TOURNAMENT: April 14th & 15th • 7am - 4pm WEIGH STATION: Barcadere Marina • 4pm - 6pm 1ST PRIZE: $5000 CASH PLUS A TUDOR WATCH 2nd $2000 CASH 3rd $1000 CASH The only all-dolphin fishing tournament in the Cayman Islands returns with fun for the whole family. KIRK SLAM TOURNAMENT DATES APRIL 14 TH + 15 TH 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. 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” Thanks to the ingenuity of two local entrepreneurs, we may soon be able to hail a taxi, track its arrival and pay our fare – all using our mobile phone. But thanks to government’s apparently insatiable need to interfere with private enterprise, the Flex app falls far short of owners Rachel Smyth and Alex Cowan’s original vision, which was to create “Uber in Cayman.” Rarely have we seen a more clear-cut case of govern- ment regulation and protectionism aimed so obviously at a single startup business – one which would clearly benefit the people who live on and visit our island. Ms. Smyth and Mr. Cowan’s original business model would have engaged non-professional drivers (properly vetted and qualified) to offer rides to customers for a fee, bringing much-needed competition to the industry, to the benefit of consumers and Caymanian drivers eager to boost their earnings. Instead, in response to officials’ concerns about possible negative impacts to the taxi industry, only the relatively few drivers licensed through the Public Trans- port Board will be allowed to pick up Flex passengers. Call it “Uber-lite.” The watered-down “compromise” solution will bring some convenience and help standardize fares, but Ms. Smyth and Mr. Cowen had it right at the first draft. Their original idea would have broadened income opportuni- ties for Caymanians, resulted in more competitive fares and greater convenience for riders. All government would have had to do was sit in the backseat and watch. Ours is not the only jurisdiction where special interest groups, specifically taxicab drivers, their unions and associations, have tried to stop the natural tech- fueled evolution of this industry. Make no mistake, that is exactly what is happening in this instance. Any legitimate concerns about safety or driver quali- fications are easily addressed. Uber, for example, requires its driver-partners to meet age, experience and vehicle requirements, and to provide proof of a valid driver’s license, vehicle registration and insurance. Drivers in certain cities may have to meet additional conditions. In fact, the driver-partner model increases safety by making it easier, and more affordable, to hail a ride when one is too tired or impaired to sit safely behind the wheel. Drivers would be freed from the need to carry large amounts of cash and its concomitant risk of crime. To limit the pool of Flex drivers to current licensed taxi drivers is not only counterproductive, it is foolhardy. (Cayman’s taxi drivers are not world-famous for their safe driving skills. And now they are a protected group?) What’s worse, government’s interference may well torpedo the entire enterprise. Flex’s founders told the Compass the company is having some difficulty signing up the 20 or more drivers they will need to properly pilot the service in George Town and along Seven Mile Beach. We have no doubt that Flex would have no trouble recruiting more than enough safe, qualified partner-drivers to launch the pilot, and extend the program islandwide. As Mr. Cowan told the Compass, “The rest of the world are looking into self-driving cars and we are still using radios and rate sheets. We need to start thinking ahead for the tourism industry. These ride sharing plat- forms have become worldwide, and tourists are asking why don’t we have it and when it is coming.” The answer is as clear as it is disappointing: Rather than support the vision of two born-and-raised Cayma- nian entrepreneurs and allow licensed drivers the oppor- tunity to earn extra income, government has sided with a narrow special-interest group reluctant to evolve with – and adapt to – the times. Government hits the brakes on Uber-like service THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Donald Trump’s long game with China As President Donald Trump takes trade actions aimed at China, it is impor- tant to focus on the long game. Those aren’t about cars costing $125 more and surely not about the United States going protectionist. America has been in a trade and ideological war with China for years, and ar- tificial intelligence will be the final battleground. Beijing orchestrates a pervasive web of mercan- tilist tools – regulation of imports and foreign in- vestment, forced tech- nology transfers and sub- sidies – to target industries for dominance – aluminum, solar panels, electric cars and soon, AI. Those policies create huge trade surpluses and a trillion dollar war chest that its multinationals may use to fund R&D and buy foreign technology companies. Geely Automotive pur- chased Volvo in 2010, which will only sell electric vehi- cles starting next year. U.S. auto makers must take joint venture partners in China and through those, its indig- enous manufacturers gain access to American driver- less vehicle technology. As importantly, Beijing is corrupting core American resistance to authoritarian state-directed capitalism by co-opting American multinationals. Apple recently agreed to store sensitive encryp- tion keys in China, and ac- tively campaigns against a more realistic trade policy toward China. Marriott is shaping global communica- tions, corporate education and employee screening in line with Beijing’s propa- ganda strategies. Google is establishing an AI development lab in China that will develop local talent and transfer knowhow to private developers. AI-enabled devices and software power through huge troves of behavioral data and physical observa- tions and distill vast bodies of scientific and social re- search to dramatically accel- erate or replace human de- cision making. AI is IBM’s Watson teaming with H&R Block HRB, +1.03 percent to pre- pare tax returns to avoid IRS audits, and assisting rural oncologists treating rare cancers, replacing time-consuming collabo- ration with highly special- ized colleagues at faraway teaching hospitals. AI is a personal assis- tant tailoring office music and temperature settings, drafting an itinerary for the day, setting up meet- ings, and booking restaurant reservations. AI is the brains behind self-driving vehicles, drones overhead, and ultimately traffic management sys- tems in cities with millions in operation. More ominously, AI is the software behind Chinese fa- cial scanners that identify the movements of Uighur dissidents in Xinjiang and track the everyday activi- ties of citizens elsewhere to identify those embracing un- wanted political ideas anti- thetical to the Party order. In 10 years, it will not be possible to design, make or sell most anything without super-fast microprocessors and dazzling software that make today’s smartphones and apps look like John Bull’s locomotive and illumi- nated manuscripts. AI will be the backbone of democratic nations’ ca- pacity to defend their bor- ders, communications and transportation infrastruc- ture and civic institutions from invaders. For repres- sive states, AI will be the means to control citizens and what corporate leaders do, say and think. China has targeted global dominance in AI by 2030 with hundreds of billions of dollars in government and private capital and its most ambitious young talent – all reminiscent of American ef- forts to build the 19th cen- tury transcontinental rail- roads and 20th century aircraft industry. Beijing and local gov- ernments, with the collab- oration of its technology giants, are funneling hun- dreds of billions of dollars into startups and big com- pany projects that enjoy no- tably more freedom than Western companies. They are not bothered by pri- vacy rules, hectored by pol- iticians about employment practices, or a liberal press calling for the breakup of large players. China provides not merely a rich, legitimate market for commercial ap- plications but also the an- alog to our defense market in aircraft for the AI instru- ments of social control. It will be able to export these systems to other repres- sive regimes in Asia and elsewhere, further boosting the revenue base that sup- ports its R&D. China has a vast pool of engineering talent, much of it trained by American uni- versities sympathetic to Bei- jing’s socialist/anti-demo- cratic agenda and assisted by American multinationals with wavering allegiance to flag and country. The U.S. and other gov- ernments have blocked some proposed Chinese ac- quisitions of Western tech- nology companies. And now the Trump administration is crafting a much broader, systemic approach to these acquisitions and Beijing’s decidedly aggressive indus- trial policies. But with U.S. universi- ties hungry for full tuition- paying foreign students and technology leaders like Apple and Google in- creasingly co-opted, the real threat to America is a reflexive, anti-Trump re- sponse to a more rational U.S. policy and corrup- tion within the factories of American technology. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. PETER MORICI Beijing and local governments, with the collaboration of its technology giants, are funneling hundreds of billions of dollars into startups and big company projects that enjoy notably more freedom than Western companies.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2018 CUSTOMER NOTICE Scotiabank & Trust (Cayman) Ltd. wishes to advise that due to the announcement by the Federal Reserve to increase the federal funds rate by 0.25% on March 21, 2018, the following changes will occur: • USD Prime Rate 4.50% to 4.75% - Effective March 22, 2018 • KYD Prime Rate 4.50% to 4.75% - Effective April 5, 2018 All products linked to USD and KYD Prime Rates will be adjusted on the effective dates indicated. ®Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. Evidence concludes in immigration officer’s DUI trial Police officer suggests ‘mistaken identity’ CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Evidence in the trial of senior immigration officer Garfield (Gary) Wong con- cluded on Tuesday, with closing speeches sched- uled for May 23. Mr. Wong is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, careless driving and leaving the scene of an ac- cident in the early hours of Dec. 28, 2013. The final witness in the case was a police officer called by defense attorney Dennis Brady. Mr. Wong’s trial began in January 2017 after he pleaded not guilty to all charges. It continued part- heard over several dates. In June 2017, Police Constable Harvel Grant gave evidence that he had administered a breath test to Mr. Wong at the Bodden Town Police Sta- tion after the incident. The test gave a reading of .184. The legal limit in Cayman is .100. Mr. Wong gave his ev- idence in January, after Crown counsel Scott Wain- wright closed the case for the prosecution. Mr. Wong said the officer who gave evidence about the breath test was not the officer who had administered the test to him. He said he recognized the testing officer’s face but did not know his name. He subsequently learned the name and told Mr. Brady that it was Constable Win- ston Wolliston. After Mr. Wong’s evi- dence, Mr. Brady asked Mag- istrate Grace Donalds to issue a summons for Con- stable Wolliston to come to court. He turned out not to be available in February, but did appear this week. Mr. Brady took him through the events of Dec. 27-28, 2013. He then summarized his questions by stating, “My instructions are that you and not Mr. Grant are the one who administered the breath test.” Constable Wolliston re- plied that his only involve- ment at the police sta- tion was in documenting or “booking” Mr. Wong into custody after his arrest. He said Mr. Wong had told him about having a drink, but he told Mr. Wong to tell it to the testing officer. Constable Wolliston agreed that he had read about Mr. Wong’s evidence “in the paper” and “I realized it was mistaken identity.” He explained that he and Mr. Grant were similar in height, they both had a bald head and, at the time, both were of slim build. Questioned by Mr. Wain- wright, he said he did not write “PC Grant” as the oper- ator for Mr. Wong’s test and he was not in the room when the Intoxilyzer test was done. Mr. Wainwright asked if the officer appreciated that he was being accused of lying under oath, and inter- fering with the course of jus- tice. Constable Wolliston said yes, he did appreciate that and the fact that he would probably lose his job if he had lied. Mr. Wainwright then asked, “Would you come here and risk your job over a DUI?” “No, sir,” the of- ficer replied. Among the responsibilities are meeting with the child, interviewing relevant people, reading and writing reports, attending court hearings and trials, and possibly giving sworn testimony. Courts seeking applicants for ‘guardian’ panel The Cayman Islands Ju- dicial Administration is seeking applicants who wish to serve as “guardians ad litem” in court cases in- volving child welfare. The application deadline is Friday, April 6. A guardian ad litem is typically appointed in cases where a child is without parents or family members who can act in the child’s best interests and where the child is not represented by an attorney. The role of the guardian ad litem is to ensure that the child’s interests are con- sidered when making de- cisions about where and with whom the child should be placed. Among the responsibili- ties of the role are meeting with the child, interviewing relevant people, reading and writing reports, at- tending court hearings and trials, and possibly giving sworn testimony. The work often requires travel to meet with the people in- volved in a case. A sti- pend is provided to cover the cost of the work. The Judicial Admin- istration says applicants should have “a flexible schedule to allow you to attend court hearings, to meet with relevant per- sons. You should also have strong written and analyt- ical skills and should be a person of good character.” More details can be seen on the notice board at www.judicial.ky. For further information, contact GAL@judicial.ky. Extradition hearing still set for April 30 Magistrate reserves decision on bail CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cayman resident wanted in the United States for alleged fraud ap- peared in Summary Court on Tuesday, when Crown and defense attorneys ar- gued whether he should be bailed until his extradition hearing, set for April 30. Iain Nigel MacKellar has been in custody since Dec. 15, when he was arrested at his home in Rum Point. Last month, attorney James Austin-Smith told Magis- trate Angelyn Hernandez that his client had “severe and immediate” health con- cerns that could not be ad- dressed at Northward Prison. After hearing details from him and responses from Crown counsel Toyin Salako, the magistrate said she needed more informa- tion before she could decide. On Tuesday, both sides provided more information. Director of Public Prosecu- tions Cheryll Richards as- serted that if Mr. MacKellar returned to his North Side home, which she described as being in an isolated area, he would not have the round-the-clock monitoring he had in prison. Ms. Richards also ad- vised that the prison di- rector was open to any di- rectives from the court, a doctor was aware of Mr. MacKellar’s health issues, and there was a nutritionist who had been or could be consulted. She repeated her concern that Mr. MacKellar, 60, was a flight risk. A U.K. citizen, he was identified in December as a professional man with no previous convictions and a permanent resident in Cayman since 2007. He has been named with three other people on an indict- ment issued in Texas that alleges fraud involving a veterinary product for fleas. One of the charges re- lates to “reboxed pet prod- ucts not manufactured and approved for sale in the United States.” At the close of sub- missions on Tuesday, Mr. Austin-Smith asked if the magistrate would con- sider advising the parties of her ruling “with rea- sons to follow.” The magistrate asked if the parties were “on line” for the extradition hearing on April 30. Ms. Richards replied that, in general, they were. She noted that the Crown had until April 18 to reply to defense submissions, and a case management ses- sion was set for April 26. “So we are on target,” Ms. Richards said. Gary Wong Iain Nigel MacKellar One of the charges against Mr. MacKellar relates to “reboxed pet products not manufactured and approved for sale in the United States.” Mr. Wong is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident in the early hours of Dec. 28, 2013.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. THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS FRIDAY, APRIL 6 GUARDIANS PANEL: Today is the deadline for individuals to apply to join the Guardians Panel. The Children Law enables courts to appoint individuals to safeguard the interests of children involved in court proceedings. Guardians assist the court to make a decision in the best interest of the child, in particular by finding out the wishes of the child and assessing the case put forward by Department of Children and Family Services and by parents or other parties. Guardians are appointed from the panel. Applications are invited from people with knowledge and experience in child care or law. More details at www.judicial.ky. SATURDAY, APRIL 7 BRAC BIKEATHON: Organized by Rotary Club of Cayman Brac. Starts 8 a.m. Spot Bay Turn-around. Route is Spot Bay to West End. TUESDAY, APRIL 10 GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIPS: An information session takes place today at the George Town Public Library 5:30-6:30 p.m. Anyone planning to apply for a government scholarship for 2018/2019 is encouraged to attend. All who are planning to apply for a local government scholarship for the 2018/2019 academic year are invited to complete the required forms online by visiting www.education.gov.ky/ scholarships. SUNDAY, APRIL 15 HEALTH FAIR: The Lions Club of Tropical Gardens is celebrating 25 years of giving back, by hosting a free community fair at the Lions Centre, 8:30 a.m. till 2 p.m. Screens for BMI, blood pressure, sight, diabetes and cholesterol, as well as massage, healthcare insurance advice, cancer education and mental health advice. Bouncy castle for the children and refreshments on sale. OLDER PERSONS HEALTH INSURANCE: Today is the deadline for people to share their opinions on how Cayman can better meet the unique healthcare needs of older individuals. Residents of all ages are invited to take part in a survey that will help health insurance officials evaluate the possible development of a Standard Health Insurance Contract for those aged 65 and older. Those interested may complete the survey at the Department of Health Regulatory Services website www.dhrs.gov.ky. Hard copies are available at the Government Administration Building and from all district health clinics. Contact melissa.maize@gov.ky. BRAC DG’S 5K CHALLENGE: Registration is open for the 2018 Deputy Governor’s 5K Challenge. The walk/run is being held on Cayman Brac on Sunday, April 15, Little Cayman on Sunday, April 22, and Grand Cayman Sunday, April 29. The event is raising money for five good causes. Funds raised in Cayman Brac will go toward the provision of meals at Kirkconnell Community Care Centre and, in Little Cayman, money will be used for a “grow box” at the island’s school. Register at www.caymanactive.com/dg5K. SATURDAY, APRIL 21 ROTARY SCIENCE FAIR: 10 a.m. until noon. The Arts & Recreation Centre. All are invited. EARTH DAY FAIR: Sir John A. Cumber Primary School Field, 4-9 p.m. Music, food stalls, exhibits, kids zone, artists corner, eco-friendly vendors. Admission free. Organized by West Bay Central Earth Day Committee. GENERAL INTEREST VEHICLE & LICENSING DEPT.: The Crewe Road office of the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing has resumed its normal hours of operations. The office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. No extended hours for license plate exchanges on Wednesdays. No Saturday openings. CADET CORPS: The Cayman Islands Cadet Corps is looking for new recruits, ages 11-16, to join the Band Detachment or the Marine Detachment and School Detachments at John Gray High School, Clifton Hunter High School, Layman E. Scott High School and Triple C School. Program includes drilling, field craft and adventure, navigation, first-aid, competition shooting, physical and leadership training, music and band, water-based activities. For more information, contact the Cadet Corps at 938-8821/22, 946-9810 or email cadetcorps@gov.ky. On Cayman Brac, call 948-8824 or 938-8824. Website is www.cicadetcorps.ky. EARLY CHILDHOOD FEES: The Ministry of Education provides financial assistance for Caymanian children between 3 and 4 years of age before Sept. 1, 2018, to assist with payment of fees at an early childhood center between September and June 30. Application forms can be downloaded from www.education.gov. ky or collected from the Government Administration Building, the Department of Education Services and all early childhood centres. Contact Renee Barnes at 244-5735, Turnette Stewart at 244-5724 or email ecap@gov.ky. 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. 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., George Town. All are invited to attend. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacyman.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15 p.m. on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. Local contact is George R. Ebanks, 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. 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). 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, Cayman Islands Hospital at 6:30 p.m. Learn more at www.optimistcayman.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: Breast-feeding 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 Brac Bikeathon begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 7. The route is Spot Bay to West End.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2018 THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A PRIZE PACKAGE VALUED AT $1000 WHICH INCLUDES: • Two VIP tickets to Batabano events and screenings from April 16 • Two adult costumes from Tribal Carnival to wear in the 2018 parade • $300 shopping spree at Le Classique • Two Batabano swag bags with 35th anniversary items Carnival to wear in the 2018 paradeCarnival to wear in the 2018 parade • $300 shopping spree at Le Classique$300 shopping spree at Le Classique • Two Batabano swag bags with Two Batabano swag bags with 35th anniversary items35th anniversary items BATABANO 35TH ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY ENTER TO WIN REGISTER TO WIN AT caymancompass.com/contests DEADLINE TO ENTER: Sunday, April 15 DRAWING: Monday, April 16 Contest details online The main part of the spec- tacle was the match-up be- tween Ms. Wozniacki and Mr. West, formerly a tennis in- structor himself. Asked if she would con- sider switching roles and putting on the jet boots next time, she said, “I will defi- nitely have to practice first. I have never been on one so I would need to get my feet stable first, and then maybe that would be the next thing.” Mr. West said the fly- boarders were initially sup- posed to be ball boys for the bullseye challenge. “I figured, why not give it a try and hit some balls?” Now he thinks they might have invented a new sport. “I’ve got a lot of friends back home now challenging me to matches of sky tennis,” he said. “It’s 2018, why not?” Ms. Wozniacki signed a deal with the Dart group to be a brand ambassador for the Residences at Seafire in 2018. She is expected to make several visits to the island as part of the partnership and carries the logo of the resort, where she stays when she is in Cayman, on her tennis bag. This was her second trip to the island. She visited in December and promptly went on to win the Australian Open – her first Grand Slam title – in January. She hopes this visit could be the impetus for even more success. “The French Open is the next big tournament so I hope it is my good luck charm for that,” she added. “I love staying at the Seafire residences. It is my home away from home, it’s beautiful here and I love coming back.” Next up for the tennis star are tournaments in Is- tanbul, Rome and Madrid, ahead of the French Open. She hopes to find time to re- turn to Cayman for some rest and relaxation later in the year. “I just really love it here,” she said. “People are so friendly and so nice, the food is great and the beaches are beautiful; what is not to love?” Caroline Wozniacki hosted a beach bullseye challenge with kids taking turns to try to hit a target. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Flying the Cayman flag at the Commonwealth Games Athlete Carl Morgan proudly carried the Cayman Islands flag at the offi- cial opening of the Com- monwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia, Wednesday night. Mr. Morgan, who will be taking part in the long jump competition, led the Cayman Islands delegation which in- cludes a roster of 21 athletes. “Words cannot explain what it means to me to be able to bear the flag of the Cayman Islands,” he said. “It is a tremendous honour. It is an experience of a lifetime. To be able to bear the flag of the Cayman Islands at a meet of such a magnitude is a great, great thing.” Cayman is one of 14 Ca- ribbean countries and ter- ritories participating in the Games, and one of 71 from across the globe. The competition will last 12 days, culminating on April 15. For more on the opening ceremony, see page 16. Flag bearer Carl Morgan leads the Cayman Islands contingent at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games Wednesday night in the Gold Coast, Australia. - PHOTO: BEN MEADE EGYPT SENTENCES 35 TO LIFE ON TERROR CHARGES CAIRO (AP) – Egypt on Wednesday sentenced 35 alleged Muslim Broth- erhood members to life in prison for allegedly forming “terrorist cells” to attack security forces and state institutions. The Sohag Criminal Court in central Egypt sen- tenced another 155 defen- dants to three to 15 years on similar charges, in- cluding plotting to kill public figures and secu- rity officials, and joining an outlawed group, a ref- erence to the Brother- hood. The verdict can be appealed, and 124 sus- pects who remain at large will be re-tried once they are apprehended. Also on Wednesday, an Egyptian military court sentenced four suspected Muslim Brotherhood mem- bers to life imprisonment on terror-related charges, a defense lawyer said. Two of the suspects were sen- tenced in absentia and they will be re-tried once they are apprehended, Khaled el-Masry told The As- sociated Press. The court sentenced two others to 10 years each and acquitted 13, he said. The charges in- clude plotting militant at- tacks against the security personnel and bombing malls in Cairo in addition to belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood group, he said. The Brotherhood won a series of free elections after Egypt’s 2011 up- rising, and a senior Broth- erhood figure, Mohammed Morsi, was elected presi- dent in 2012. A year later, the military overthrew Morsi amid mass protests against his rule. Authori- ties have since branded the Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Egypt has for years struggled to contain an Is- lamic insurgency in the tur- bulent Sinai region. It has carried out military oper- ations there that, it says, have killed hundreds of militants and soldiers. The country is also facing a growing number of attacks in its Western Desert, along the porous border with Libya that authorities con- tend is used by both mili- tants and smugglers. In February, Egypt launched a massive secu- rity operation in Sinai, the Nile Delta and the Western Desert to target “terrorist and criminal elements and organizations.” Tennis star makes waves in CaymanThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cameroon security forces free 18 hostages Cameroon’s government says security forces have freed 18 hostages, including 12 European tourists, who had been seized by separatists fighting for the independence of English-speaking regions in the country. China lists $50B of US goods it may hit with 25 percent tariff UK rejects joint probe with Russia into spy poisoning BRUSSELS (AP) – Britain and Russia accused each other of duplicity and untrust- worthiness Wednesday, with London rejecting any pos- sibility of a joint probe in- volving Moscow into the poi- soning of an ex-Russian spy and his daughter in England. At a special meeting to discuss the case at the Or- ganisation for the Prohibi- tion of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, the Netherlands, the British envoy said that a joint investigation, as pro- posed by Russia, would force “a victim to engage the likely perpetrator.” Acting U.K. Permanent Representative John Foggo said “to do so would be per- verse,” adding that Moscow’s demand showed “disdain.” Britain, backed by its Eu- ropean and U.S. partners, has blamed Russia for the March 4 nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the city of Salisbury, an accusation that Russia vehemently denies. Wednesday’s meeting at the international chem- ical weapons control body was called at the request of Moscow, which has pushed for Britain to provide evi- dence backing its claim that Russia was responsible. “We are ready for a com- prehensive, highly profes- sional and open coopera- tion on the Skripal case with the U.K. both in a bilat- eral format and within the OPCW,” Russia’s foreign af- fairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. On Tuesday, the chief of Britain’s defense laboratory said its scientists have not tracked down the “precise source” of the nerve agent used in the attack. Britain had earlier identified the agent as a Soviet-developed type known as Novichok. The case has plunged re- lations between the West and Russia to their lowest ebb since the Cold War, with multiple tit-for-tat dip- lomatic expulsions in nu- merous countries. In Moscow, Russia’s spy- master claimed the poisoning was staged by U.K. and U.S. intelligence agencies. Sergei Naryshkin, director of Russia’s Foreign Intelli- gence Service, the top KGB successor agency, said the poisoning was a “grotesque provocation rudely staged by the British and U.S. intelli- gence agencies.” Speaking Wednesday at an international security conference organized by the Russian Defense Ministry, Naryshkin said the poisoning was the latest U.S. effort to undermine Russia and was akin to its practices during the Cold War. Meanwhile the 28-nation EU, of which Britain is still a member, la- mented Moscow’s refusal to give information to Britain. “Instead, we wit- nessed a flood of insinua- tions” targeting several EU member states, envoy Kr- assimir Kostov of Bulgaria, which currently holds the EU presidency, told the council meeting. In a separate speech on the use of chemical weapons Wednesday, a British dip- lomatic official condemned Russia for flouting interna- tional rules and hurting the chemical weapons watchdog. “Russia repeatedly sought to undermine the OPCW – the very organization set up to put an end to the barbarity of chemical weapons attacks,” Alistair Burt, minister of state for the Middle East, said. BEIJING (AP) – China on Wednesday issued a $50 bil- lion list of U.S. goods in- cluding soybeans and small aircraft for pos- sible tariff hikes in an esca- lating and potentially dam- aging technology dispute with Washington. The country’s tax agency gave no date for the 25 per- cent increase to take effect and said that will depend on what President Donald Trump does about U.S. plans to raise duties on a similar amount of Chinese goods. Beijing’s list of 106 prod- ucts included the biggest U.S. exports to China, reflecting its intense sensitivity to the dispute over American com- plaints that it pressures for- eign companies to hand over technology. The clash reflects the ten- sion between Trump’s prom- ises to narrow a U.S. trade deficit with China that stood at $375.2 billion last year and the ruling Communist Par- ty’s development ambitions. Regulators use access to Chi- na’s vast market as leverage to press foreign automakers and other companies to help create or improve industries and technology. A list the U.S. issued Tuesday of products sub- ject to tariff hikes included aerospace, telecoms and ma- chinery, striking at high- tech industries seen by Chi- na’s leaders as the key to its economic future. China said it would im- mediately challenge the U.S. move in the World Trade Organization. “It must be said, we have been forced into taking this action,” a deputy commerce minister, Wang Shouwen, said at a news conference. “Our action is restrained.” A deputy finance min- ister, Zhu Guangyao, appealed to Washington to “work in a constructive manner” and avoid hurting both countries. Zhu warned against ex- pecting Beijing to back down. “Pressure from the outside will only urge and encourage the Chinese people to work even harder,” said Zhu at the news conference. Companies and econo- mists have expressed con- cern improved global eco- nomic activity might sputter if other governments are prompted to raise their own import barriers. The dispute “may compel countries to pick sides,” said Weiliang Chang of Mizuho Bank in a report. “U.S. companies at this point would like to see robust communication between the US government and the Chi- nese government and serious negotiation on both sides, hopefully to avoid a trade war,” said the chairman of the American Chamber of Com- merce in China, William Zarit. “I can only hope that we solve our differences as soon as possible to avoid damage to the U.S. economy, Chinese economy and to U.S. companies.” American companies have long chafed under Chinese regulations that require them to operate through local part- ners and share technology with potential competitors in exchange for market access. Business groups say com- panies feel increasingly un- welcome in China’s state- dominated economy and are being squeezed out of prom- ising industries. Chinese policies “coerce American companies into transferring their technology” to Chinese enterprises, said a USTR statement. Foreign companies are in- creasingly alarmed by initia- tives such as Beijing’s long- range industry development plan, dubbed “Made in China 2025,” which calls for cre- ating global leaders in elec- tric cars, robots and other fields. Companies complain that might block access to those industries. Wang, the commerce of- ficial, defended “Made in China 2025.” He said it was “transparent, open and non- discriminatory” and foreign companies could participate. Wang said the plan, which sets specific targets for domestic brands’ share of some markets, should be seen as a guide rather than mandatory. A report released Tuesday by the USTR also cited com- plaints Beijing uses cyber spying to steal foreign busi- ness secrets. It was unclear whether the latest tariff hike was a direct response to that. The Chinese list Wednesday included soy- beans, the biggest U.S. export to China, and aircraft up to 45 tons in weight. That ex- cludes high-end Boeing Co. jetliners such as the 747 and 777, leaving Beijing high-pro- file targets for possible fu- ture conflicts. Also on the list were American beef, whisky, pas- senger vehicles and indus- trial chemicals. Zhu, the deputy finance minister, expressed thanks to American soybean farmers who he said had lobbied the Trump administration to “safeguard hard-won eco- nomic relations between the United States and China.” To minimize the cost to China, regulators picked products for which replace- ments are available, such as soybeans from Australia or Brazil, said Tu Xinquan, di- rector of WTO studies at the University of Interna- tional Business and Eco- nomics in Beijing. “China has made me- ticulous efforts in deciding the list of the products to make sure the impact on China’s economy is control- lable,” said Tu. “If the U.S. decides to in- crease intensity, China will surely follow suit,” said Tu. “In the event of all-out trade war, both may lose all sense of reason, but I do hope it will never happen.” The Global Times news- paper, published by the ruling party and known for its nationalistic tone, sug- gested further retaliatory ac- tion might target service in- dustries in which the United States runs a trade surplus. Regulators have wide dis- cretion to withhold licenses or take other action to dis- rupt logistics and other ser- vice businesses. The headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, Netherlands. The OPCW is holding a special executive council meeting Wednesday, which will likely discuss the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter last month. - PHOTO: AP Workers load imported soybeans at a port in Nantong in east China’s Jiangsu province. China on Wednesday vowed to take measures of the ‘same strength’ in response to a proposed U.S. tariff hike on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2018 We have been asked to announce the passing of Mr. Allan Wilson Whittaker of Northside, who passed away on Friday March 30, 2018. A Thanksgiving Service will be held on Thursday April 5, 2018 at 2:00p.m. at Cayman Islands Seafarer’s Association Hall Victory Avenue, Prospect. Interment follows at Prospect Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at: www.churchillsfuneralhome.com BRITAIN’S PRINCE PHILIP, AGE 96, ENTERS HOSPITAL FOR HIP SURGERY LONDON (AP) – Queen Elizabeth II’s 96-year-old husband, Prince Philip, has been admitted to a London hospital for a pre- viously scheduled hip sur- gery, Buckingham Palace said Tuesday. The palace said the prince entered the King Ed- ward VII Hospital in the af- ternoon and would have the surgery Wednesday. It said the hospital admission and surgery were planned. Officials declined to provide additional details about the surgery and said “further updates will be is- sued when appropriate.” The prince announced in May that he was re- tiring from most public du- ties after decades of royal service. The palace said at the time he had carried out roughly 22,000 solo royal engagements since Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952. Philip has missed sev- eral public events in recent weeks, including an Easter Sunday church service in Windsor. He has been re- ported to be hobbled by hip pain, but the news of the planned surgery took many by surprise. The health scare comes at a busy time for the royal family. Prince William and his wife Kate are expecting their third child this month, and Prince Harry plans to marry American actress Meghan Markle on May 19 at Windsor Castle. Philip has sharply re- duced the number of charity events he attends since announcing his re- tirement, but still accompa- nies the queen on occasion. Philip has been in gener- ally good health for his age, but he was briefly hospital- ized over Christmas in 2011 for angioplasty treatment of a blockage in his coro- nary arteries. He has suf- fered from other ailments as well but has not spoken about them in public. He and Elizabeth cele- brated their 70th wedding anniversary in November. The queen has praised her husband for his devo- tion and long years of ser- vice, calling him the rock she depends on. Speeches, marches mark Martin Luther King anniversary MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Fifty years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassi- nated, the civil rights leader’s family and admirers were marking the anniversary of his death with marches, speeches and quiet reflec- tion Wednesday. The commemorations stretch from his hometown of Atlanta to Memphis, where he died, and points beyond. Among the first events is a march led by the same sani- tation workers union whose low pay King had come to protest when he was shot. Another event will kick off about the same time in At- lanta, where King’s daughter the Rev. Bernice A. King is moderating an awards cere- mony in his honor. The Memphis events are scheduled to feature King’s contemporaries, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, along with celebrities such as the rapper Common. In the eve- ning, the Atlanta events cul- minate with a bell-ringing and wreath-laying at his crypt to mark the moment when he was gunned down on the balcony of the old Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968. He was 39. Wednesday’s events fol- lowed a rousing celebration the night before of King’s “I’ve Been To the Moun- taintop” speech at Memphis’ Mason Temple Church of God in Christ. He delivered this speech the night before he was assassinated. Inside the church, Ber- nice King called her older brother, Martin Luther King III, to join her in the pulpit, and she discussed the diffi- culty of publicly mourning their father – a man hated during his lifetime, now be- loved around the world. “It’s important to see two of the children who lost their daddy 50 years ago to an assassin’s bullet,” said Bernice King, now 55. “But we kept going. Keep all of us in prayer as we continue the grieving process for a parent that we’ve had yet to bury.” The anniversary coin- cides with a resurgence of white supremacy, the con- tinued shootings of unarmed black men and a parade of discouraging statistics on the lack of progress among black Americans on issues from housing to education to wealth. But rather than despair, the resounding mes- sage repeated at the church was one of resilience, re- solve, and a renewed com- mitment to King’s legacy and unfinished work. A gospel singer led a rousing rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and the gathering took on the air of a mass meeting. Lee Saunders, a national labor leader, recounted how on that night in 1968, King made an unplanned ap- pearance to deliver the fa- mous speech without notes after his aides saw how passionate the crowd was: “There was one man they wanted to hear from.” But Saunders stressed that the purpose of the week’s commemorations was not just to look to the past. “Dr. King’s work – our work – isn’t done. We must still struggle; we must still sacrifice. We must still edu- cate and organize and mobi- lize. That’s why we’re here in Memphis. Not just to honor our history, but to seize our future,” he said. Former President Barack Obama spoke in a video, saying “as long as we’re still trying, Dr. King’s soul is still rejoicing.” Some of the sanitation workers who participated with King in a 1968 strike sat in the front row and were treated like celebrities, with audience members stopping to take photos with them be- fore the event started. Russian officials accuse West of fomenting new Cold War MOSCOW (AP) – Top Russian defense and security officials on Wednesday launched dia- tribes at the West, accusing it of fomenting a new Cold War in a bid to retain waning in- fluence in global affairs. Moscow used an annual security conference attended by top defense officials from Asia, Africa and Latin America to harshly criticize the U.S. and its allies, ac- cusing them of putting global stability at risk. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu accused the U.S. and its NATO allies of using “the non-existent Rus- sian threat to methodically boost their military potential” and beef up their forces near Russia’s borders. Shoigu emphasized that the U.S.-led missile defense program has become a “major destabilizing factor inciting an arms race.” He pointed at a growing number of NATO intelligence flights near Rus- sia’s borders and an in- creasing pace of NATO’s mil- itary drills, noting that they have “a clear anti-Russian character.” “The danger of provocations and military in- cidents has significantly in- creased,” Shoigu said. Russia-West relations have sunk to their lowest level since the Cold War fol- lowing Moscow’s 2014 an- nexation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, differences over the war in Syria and the allegations of Russian med- dling in the 2016 U.S. presi- dential election. Shoigu said that NATO has stonewalled Moscow’s attempts to engage in a di- alog, adding that “we aren’t going to knock on the closed door, but will not leave at- tempts to apply pressure on us unattended.” He warned that Moscow will respond to NATO’s moves by strengthening its defense capabilities to “en- sure military security of Russia and its allies.” Russia-West tensions fur- ther escalated this month after the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in Britain, leading to mass diplomats’ expulsions by the West and Russia. Britain has blamed Russia for the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, ac- cusations which Russia has ferociously denied. Sergei Naryshkin, the di- rector of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service told the conference that the attack on Skripal was a “grotesque provocation rudely staged by the British and U.S. in- telligence agencies.” British and U.S. officials have previ- ously rejected similar Rus- sian allegations. “Washington has become fixated on fighting the non- existent Russian threat, and that fight has reached such a scale and acquired such absurd traits that we can talk about the return of the gloomy times of the Cold War,” said Sergei Naryshkin, the director of Russia’s For- eign Intelligence Service. He said that the U.S. and its allies have been un- able to adapt to global changes, including a growing role of China, Russia and other countries. “The U.S. and part of Eu- rope have failed to prepare for such changes, they can’t accept inevitable weakening of their once overwhelming clout,” he said. “Engulfed by fear of change, the West is ready to surround itself with a new Iron Curtain.” Britain’s Prince Philip on July 12, 2017 The Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, second from left, and the Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, left, co-chairs of the Poor People’s Campaign, speak at the National Civil Rights Museum Tuesday in Memphis, Tennessee. They announced the campaign is preparing for 40 days of non-violent ‘direct action’ in about 30 states that will climax with a rally in Washington this June. - PHOTO: APNext >