1 SPECIALFEATURE CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018 The CAYMANiAN COMPASS • <%W> <%DD> <%M> <%Y> 1 SPECIALFEATURE Graduation Special Feature High of 88 Low of 74 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 KEEPING GOVERNMENT OUT OF CAYMAN’S EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018 CharityDrive gets under way Whether they know it or not, drivers passing through the Island Heritage Roundabout on Esterley Tibbetts Highway between now and Thursday, May 31, will be earning money for one of three charities. The annual Island Heritage Charity- Drive began on Tuesday. This year, it is raising money for Special Needs Founda- tion Cayman, the Family Resource Centre and the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, with one day – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, respectively – dedicated to each of the organizations. Pavement strips at each entrance of the roundabout will record the number of cars passing through. For each car, Is- land Heritage will donate $1 to the charity of the day, with a maximum amount of $10,000 for each day. Supporters can also promote a given charity digitally. Island Heritage will donate another $1 when people like or share social media posts on the charity sites using the tag #ihcharitydrive2018 or by mentioning @charitydriveky on Twitter. The charity re- ceiving the most such activity will receive up to an additional $5,000. Speedway club secures deal to use track JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Drag racing is set to return to the Cayman Islands on a reg- ular basis after enthusiasts se- cured a deal with the land- owner to reopen the Breakers Speedway track. Lawyer Sammy Jackson, one of the founders of the Breakers Drag Racing Association, said the group had agreed on a deal with property owner Crown World to use the track for the next two years. He said they also had an option to buy the land and an agreement that they will get six months notice if it is sold to someone else. Mr. Jackson said the deal means regular racing can return to the track for the first time in five years. The fledgling associa- tion held a one-off race day in January that attracted around 1,400 spectators to the venue. ITALIAN TURMOIL BATTERS STOCKS; DOW PLUNGES NEW YORK (AP) – Stocks in the U.S. and Eu- rope are sinking Tuesday following political turmoil in Italy, which stoked fears of insta- bility in the euro bloc. Investors dumped Italian government bonds, driving borrowing costs sharply higher for that country and rekindling fears of more financial strain for weaker European nations. Meanwhile, prices for U.S. government bonds surged as investors shifted money into lower-risk investments. The steep drop in U.S. bond yields is causing big losses for banks. Lower yields force interest rates down on mortgages and other kinds of loans, meaning thinner profits for financial institutions. Major exporters like technology and industrial companies are also falling. The political upheaval in Italy is likely to lead to new elections in the coming months, and while it’s not clear if Italy would leave the euro, investors are interpreting the new vote as a referendum on Italy continuing to use the currency. That has major impli- cations for the European financial system and its economy. GANG KILLERS MAY HAVE TO TAKE LEGAL BATTLE TO UK JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two convicted gang killers, transferred out of Cayman’s Northward Prison and sent to a U.K. jail amid alleged “national security” concerns, may have to challenge that deci- sion in London. Brothers Osbourne Douglas and Justin Ramoon, both serving life sentences for murder, are contesting the decision to transfer them to London’s Belmarsh prison under a 19th-century statute known as the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act. They were granted leave to apply for ju- dicial review after they filed writs in the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands against the Cayman Islands governor and the di- rector of prisons. They argue that the move breaches human rights, such as the right to a family life, guaranteed by the Cayman Islands Bill of Rights. Now, government lawyers are seeking to stay the proceedings, suggesting the case should be brought in London. A three-day hearing in the Grand Court began Monday to assess the merits of that Supporters of Special Needs Foundation Cayman promote the charity to passing motorists during the first day of the Island Heritage CharityDrive fundraiser on Tuesday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Drag racing will become a monthly feature at the Breakers track. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 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. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (PG13) 1:10 I 3:25 3D I 6:40 I 9:55 3D BREAKING IN (PG13) 12:30 I 7:00 I 10:20 DEADPOOL 2 (R) 1:40 I 4:40 I 7:25 I 10:10 LIFE OF THE PARTY (PG13) 12:50 I 4:30 I 7:10 I 9:40 SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 1:20 I 3:45 VIP I 4:20 3D I 6:45 VIP I 7:20 I 9:10 3D I 9:45 VIP For assistance or enquiries, please check www.eso.ky or call 244-4676 or 244-4615. Better Data...Better Decisions…Better Business Business Survey 2018...Your Response Matters! How did this change in 20 Cayman Islands: Growth in Real GDP 2007-2016 2007200820092010201120122013201420152016 17? The annual System of National Accounts (SNA) survey collects the information necessary to measure the health and performance of Cayman’s economy and its various industries. The survey runs from April 9th to June 1st 2018. Data collected for the SNA survey is CONFIDENTIAL under the Statistics Law (2016 Revision) and is EXEMPT from the Freedom of Information Law. In 2016, Cayman’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.1%, the strongest growth since 2007. Official launch of ‘Mobi-Mat’ held From left, Acting Minister of Community Affairs Austin Harris, National Council for Persons with Disabilities member Keith ‘Parker’ Tibbetts and Rotary Central President and Executive Leader of the Special Needs Foundation Susie Bodden officiate at the ‘Mobi-Mat’ ribbon-cutting ceremony and plaque unveiling on Seven Mile Beach on May 19. The mat will make it easier for people with disabilities and mobility issues to enter the water. JURY NOTICE All current Grand Court jurors who are in the April 4 to July 3 session are ad- vised that the report date of Monday, May 28, has been changed to Wednesday, May 30, at 9:45 a.m. Call the Jury Infor- mation Line at 244-3899 for the most up-to-date information, or email jury@judicial.ky. Jaron Calvin Solomon, 29, pleaded guilty Monday to causing grievous bodily harm to his ex-girlfriend, who was stabbed mul- tiple times. He was orig- inally charged with at- tempted murder. Mr. Solomon, from East End, had denied at- tempting to kill the victim at an East End dive shop, where she worked, on July 6, 2017. Mr. Solomon pleaded guilty to three counts on common assault on co- workers of the victim, and a charge of damage to property in relation to a broken window. He was remanded in custody until sen- tencing on July 4. MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO GBH IN STABBING CASE Military exercise will close Governors Beach Annual activities by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay, one of three landing ship docks operated by the RFA, will close Governors Beach to the public for a day and a half, beginning Thursday at 8 a.m. and reopening about 4 p.m. Friday. The Mounts Bay will conduct a landing exercise as part of preparations for this year’s hurricane season, which begins June 1. The Royal Navy will replicate the landing of heavy equipment and supplies in the aftermath of a disaster, starting late Thursday afternoon. Landing ship docks can offload embarked troops in rougher weather than the previous generation of ships, and do it in half the time. “All that equipment will be across Governors Beach,” said a government spokes- person. “They’ll have to camp out there.” As it did last year, the crew of the ship will move the heavy equipment on Friday morning to Northward Prison, which will likely impact the morning drive of some island commuters. The crew will spend the day clearing vegeta- tion around the facility. RFA Mounts Bay was crit- ical to recovery response in a number of other overseas territories following the dev- astation of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. The ship provided assistance to the British Virgin Islands and An- guilla following the storms. Troops move heavy equipment transported by the RFA Mounts Bay onto Governors Beach in Cayman in 2017. A similar exercise is scheduled to be held on Thursday and Friday. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Mexican election flush with illegal funding MEXICO CITY (AP) – For every peso declared to Mex- ican electoral authorities by political parties and candi- dates, 15 more are moving under the table, according to a report Tuesday on the problem of illegal cam- paign finance. The nonprofit Mexicans Against Corruption and Im- punity published the report after months of investiga- tion, concluding that Mexi- co’s public campaign finance system has failed to keep il- legal money from influ- encing elections. The report says that the cash moving around elec- toral campaigns is such that Mexico’s central bank has documented inexplicable in- creases in the amount of cash circulating in the economy in the five months be- fore elections. The money comes from both public and private sources. Money is siphoned from public programs and local governments to fund campaigns and is funneled to candidates by businesses interested in winning public contracts and having access to elected officials. “The illegal campaign fi- nancing is the principle problem of electoral de- mocracy,” said Maria Am- paro Casar, the organiza- tion’s executive president and one of the study’s au- thors, in an interview prior to the report’s release. “What it does is when one arrives to power, what you’re doing is buying benefits.” On Monday, Mexico’s electoral institute fined in- dependent presidential can- didate Jaime Rodriguez more than $37,000 for an assortment of alleged cam- paign violations.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018 FRIDAY JUNE 22ND 2018 GRAND CAYMAN MARRIOTT BEACH RESORT The CIMPA Marketing Awards recognise some of the most remarkable marketing professionals and marketing activity from the past year and celebrate the talent of the Islands' organisations and individuals. Tickets now available at WWW.EVENTPRO.KY/CIMPA/ and includes cocktail reception, 3 course dinner and entertainment. MORE INFORMATION AT WWW.CIMPA.KY/AWARDS MEDIA LTD. HURLEY’S CATEGORIES Campaign of the Year Brand of the Year Website or App of the Year Agency of the Year Community Impact of the Year Video of the Year Rising Star of the Year Marketer of the Year Creative Professional of the Year SHORTLIST WILL BE ANNOUNCED START OF JUNE.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” The projected unemployment rates for the Cayman Islands recently shared by Finance Minister Roy McTag- gart sound less like estimates than calibrations of a finely tuned scientific instrument. The economy – as even econ- omists know – is anything but a finely tuned instrument. Nevertheless, Mr. McTaggart told Chamber of Commerce members last week that the overall unem- ployment rate in Cayman currently is 4.4 percent and is expected to decline to 4.2 percent in 2019 and 4.0 percent in 2020. How could Mr. McTaggart, or anyone else, possibly know this? Did government factor into its calculations, for example, the uncertainty in the financial services sector (given the myriad of global threats to the industry?) We hope they did, because Cayman’s financial sector cur- rently employs more than 7,500 workers or, put another way, approximately 18.3 percent of our total labor force. Regardless of what the government says, or thinks it knows, about present and future employment numbers, we do know this: Unemployment in Cayman, including among Caymanians, is enviably low. As of fall 2017, the government estimated Caymanian unemployment at 7.3 percent, which translates into 1,515 jobless Caymanians. Let’s dissect that number further: • Some are qualified workers who are simply “between jobs” temporarily. • Others are workers who do not possess the qualifications needed to secure the jobs they desire. These will remain unemployed until their expectations align with reality. • And still others can be considered truly “unemploy- able,” because of issues with health, education, attitude, substance abuse, or a whole host of other disqualifiers. All of the above need to be subtracted from the fre- quently quoted, but still minuscule, 1,515 number. The “real number” is likely well under 1,000. When politicians make promises of “a job for every Caymanian,” what they are really doing is attempting to score political points by portraying Caymanians as victims of discrimination in their own country. That’s when the political myth becomes both divisive and dangerous. Enter the government’s newest department, where the myth is the mission. Taking on responsibilities that formerly were the remit of the Department of Immigration and the National Work- force Development Agency, the new “Workforce Oppor- tunities & Residency Cayman” (or “WORC”) promises to be one of the most potentially intrusive government entities impinging on the private sector. The new depart- ment is charged with processing work permits and immi- gration applications, while securing “durable employment and opportunities for the advancement of Caymanians through development, training, internship, apprenticeships and partnerships with private sector businesses.” The brainchild of Premier Alden McLaughlin (why he would claim paternity of this amalgamation is beyond us) is scheduled to gestate for another year before launching in the summer of 2019. WORC’s intended focus is “two inter-related elements: full Caymanian employment and a well-supplied business community that is globally com- petitive,” according to interim director Sharon Roulstone. Attempting to coerce companies into hiring employees based on anything other than their individual merit threatens to stifle or destroy the economic prosperity upon which we all rely and, incidentally, the foundation upon which Cayman’s “economic miracle” was built. Cayman’s immigration law is clear: When a position attracts applications from an expatriate and an equally qualified Caymanian, the job goes to the Caymanian. (From a manager’s perspective, obviously it’s far less costly and troublesome to hire the Caymanian, thus avoiding the entanglements of overseas recruitment and relocation, the lengthy and close-to-extortionate work permit fee struc- ture and other associated costs and frustrations.) This is not the first, and certainly will not be the last, time we will say it: The government needs to resist the temptation of meddling in Cayman’s businesses. Keeping government out of Cayman’s employment business WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Facing the realities of a changing world MATTHEW ROONEY In the first half of the 19th century, England began to industrialize. Rapid in- novation led to strong eco- nomic growth and dra- matic increases in output per worker, but for nearly 50 years, wages remained al- most unchanged. This gap in income and social opportunity – known as “Engels’ Pause” because it is the focus of an 1844 essay by Karl Marx’s intellec- tual partner Friedrich En- gels – fueled the emergence of Marxism and contributed to the series of revolutions, coups and civil conflicts that characterized the second half of the century in Eng- land, France, Germany and other European countries. Historical analogies can be misleading, but this gap between productivity and wages is strikingly sim- ilar to the evolution of pro- ductivity and wages in the United States over the last 40 years. The current level of income inequality has significant potential to de- stabilize any democracy, as former Treasury Sec- retary Hank Paulson said during the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s recent Forum on Leadership. You can witness the ef- fect of our modern age of rapid innovation and change in any number of ways. You can see it in the disruption that artificial intelligence and robotics are having on once rock-solid economic models. And you can see it in the technological advances that allow scientists to edit genes to prevent heart dis- ease and other congen- ital conditions. These kinds of inno- vation, like the ones that drove early industrializa- tion two centuries ago, are doing more than just intro- ducing new products and eliminating old ones, or opening new opportunities to work and eliminating old ones. They are changing the very nature of work, cre- ating new relationships be- tween worker and employer, and disrupting communities as people move in search of opportunity. This type of change is more profound than simple introduction of a new tech- nology. A new economic par- adigm like the one whose emergence we are wit- nessing ripples through so- ciety, changing power re- lationships, changing the nature of government, even touching relationships be- tween men and women, par- ents and children, ethnic groups and faiths. Moreover, as in Europe in the 19th century, these de- velopments are rearranging international power rela- tionships. China, for one, is emerging as an industrial power, and this is having disruptive effects on the United States and other ad- vanced economies. India, Brazil, Nigeria and others are industrializing, which is creating new power re- lationships throughout the world. The stakes are high, given the implications of Germany’s quest for a place among the great nations a century ago. The rest of the story of Engels’ Pause is that the yawning gap between pro- ductivity and wages that de- veloped in the first half of the 19th century lessened in the second half, as edu- cation and training caught up and the labor force be- came more sophisticated and better adapted to the de- mands of the new technolo- gies. By 1900, wages in Eng- land were again rising at the same pace as output per worker. But social and inter- national conflict continued for another half century, as Germany, Russia, China and other countries grap- pled with their own “En- gels’ Pauses.” As an economist and – yes, as a globalist – I have a lot of confidence in the entrepreneurial spirit of Americans. I think we will find a new path to growth, upgrade our workforce’s skills, and ultimately the wage-productivity gap will close. I see harbingers of this outcome whenever I visit an innovative, nimble com- pany applying new tech- nological solutions to re- ducing costs and competing in an unforgiving global market. Or a university full of smart, vigorous people of all ages wrestling intelli- gently with tough problems and, often in multi-ethnic, -generational, -national and -gender teams, coming up with answers no- body expected. But can we wait 50 years for our own Engels’ Pause to be overcome? Or are we condemned to repeat the last century’s experi- ence of social and interna- tional conflict? We are a great and sov- ereign nation, and we hold our fate in our own hands. Smart policy that deals forthrightly with the reali- ties of the global market and geopolitics, that is driven by a vision that sees over the horizon of the moment, can make the difference. May we have the wherewithal to learn from the mis- takes of the past. Matthew Rooney is director of economic growth at the George W. Bush Institute. A longer version of this essay originally appeared in The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute. This is distributed by InsideSources.com. As an economist and – yes, as a globalist – I have a lot of confidence in the entrepreneurial spirit of Americans. I think we will find a new path to growth, upgrade our workforce’s skills, and ultimately the wage-productivity gap will close.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018 HomeOptions BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. Box 254, Cayman Brac KY2-2101 Tel. 948-1760 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International Ltd. insurance, health, pensions, life Ask for home insurance from BritCay. Extra cover and benefits are on the house! More cover and security with BritCay. 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New for old cover, personal possessions ZERO deductible for claims (excluding catastrophe) Interest free monthly payment plan cgigrp coverwithoutaddedcosts! *$250 BritCay gift certificate applies to new buildings insurance policies only Permanent leadership at WORC, ‘fair employment’ board uncertain BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A new government depart- ment that will administer work permit, residency and labor-related issues may not have permanent leadership until March 2020. March 11, 2020 is the date when current interim director Sharon Roulstone’s secondment period at Work- force Opportunities and Res- idency Cayman, known as WORC, is set to end. Ms. Roulstone, an at- torney and former head of the Work Permit Board, will effectively have a deputy di- rector’s post at Cayman’s newly created Ombudsman Office held open for her until then, according to Om- budsman Sandy Hermiston. While Ms. Roulstone is serving her secondment, Ms. Hermiston has brought in retired Canadian police su- perintendent Ted Miles, with whom she worked at the Al- berta Ombudsman’s office, to fill the job until the second- ment period ends. Ms. Herm- iston said Ms. Roulstone will have until the March 2020 date to make her intentions known as to which job she will maintain. Ms. Hermiston said Monday that she fully sup- ported Ms. Roulstone’s sec- ondment and would be “happy to have her back” if she decides to return. Meanwhile, the new WORC agency is expected to be up and running by next year. Early proposals by Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin, who is the minister for human resources and immigration, have indicated that a portion of the Immigration Depart- ment staff now used to ad- ministratively process work permits and other legal sta- tuses will be subsumed within the new agency. In addition, the staff cur- rently working at the Na- tional Workforce Develop- ment Agency will be moved over to the WORC agency. This will allow the new department to focus on finding job opportunities for unemployed Caymanians, working with the former im- migration staff members who will be processing work permits, permanent resi- dence applications, tempo- rary permits, visitors permits and the like. Ministry of Immigration Chief Officer Wesley Howell explained the role of the new agency in December: “The driving objectives are to en- sure that Caymanians are given priority in the work- force, with the ultimate out- come of achieving full em- ployment of Caymanians, while ensuring that busi- nesses in the Cayman Islands have the workforce needed to meet their business goals. An effective change leader is critical to lead the creation of the National Human Re- sources Department, to im- plement the vision by driving change in customer ser- vice, communications, sys- tems, legislation, processes and technology.” The remainder of the Immigration Department, which is a law enforcement and border control agency, will be combined with Her Majesty’s Customs service to form a new border con- trol agency. A director for that entity, expected to come into being next year, has not been named. Premier’s plans Premier McLaughlin has separately announced plans to create a Fair Employment Commission, an indepen- dently staffed government of- fice to deal with complaints from Caymanians who feel they have been discriminated against in the hiring process. The specifics of this entity – announced in March – are not known. Mr. McLaughlin said that it was meant to serve as a “tool” to supple- ment current hiring mea- sures. It was suggested that administrative fines could be levied against businesses that have unfair hiring prac- tices. The commission chair- person would likely have to be an experienced lawyer or retired judge, backed by staff with investigative skills, the premier said. Mr. McLaughlin said the problem must be han- dled delicately, as both busi- nesses and employees need to believe that such an em- ployment commission is not being politically directed. He suggested that the territorial governor – who is appointed by the U.K. – would therefore be made responsible for ap- pointing a commissioner to lead the new office. He also noted that many in Cayman’s immigration business, including attorneys and recruiting firms, have noted over the years that there is no recourse under the current law for a Cayma- nian job applicant who feels he or she has been rejected for a post unfairly. In contrast, Mr. McLaughlin said local em- ployers and non-Caymanian work permit holders can go to the Immigration Appeals Tribunal if they feel a permit has been wrongly denied. Any worker can also go to the La- bour Appeals Tribunal with a complaint against their em- ployer, he said. “There is no current law to protect Caymanians from discrimination by employers and no process by which Caymanians can officially complain or seek redress against instances of discrimi- nation,” he said. MAN ORDERED HELD WITHOUT BAIL IN ROBBERY CASE SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Azeem Burton was or- dered to be held without bail on Tuesday in connec- tion to a robbery on May 21 just after midnight on Pros- pect Point Road. Mr. Burton, 19, was charged with robbery on Tuesday and will next appear in Grand Court on June 8. Mr. Burton’s attorney, Jon- athon Hughes, submitted to the court that his client has no prior criminal his- tory. Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats took that into consider- ation but ultimately decided that the nature of the offense was too serious to allow Mr. Burton to be allowed to leave police custody. Crown counsel Darlene Oko, reading the summary of the facts of the case, said Mr. Burton allegedly had contact with the victim at a bar late on the night of May 20 and then followed him back to his home. A scuffle ensued, and the victim lost consciousness after being beaten, the court heard. He received stitches to the top of his head, and suffered two black eyes and bruised ribs. The victim also alleged that a ring, his wallet and cellphone were taken from him, Ms. Oko said. Mr. Burton and a second man, who has not been charged, were implicated in the altercation. Magistrate Foldats told Mr. Burton that his charge is considered a Category A of- fense, and all future court appearances will be trans- mitted to the Grand Court for disposition. Sharon RoulstoneThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS argument and to help de- termine where the case should be heard. Government’s lawyers argue that, because the order to move the pris- oners was made through powers conferred through an act of the U.K. parlia- ment, the Cayman Islands Bill of Rights is not rele- vant. They argue that any attempt to contest the de- cision should be brought in London against the British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, rather than in the Cayman Islands against the governor and director of prisons. Mr. Ramoon and Mr. Douglas are serving life sentences for the July 2015 murder of Jason Powery outside the Globe Bar in George Town. They were transferred to the U.K. in June 2017. At the time, gov- ernment said in a state- ment that the decision was made in the “interests of national security and public safety.” Both men filed writs ar- guing that the decision was not justified and breached their human rights. Representing the two men in Grand Court Tuesday, Hugh Southey QC argued that the Cayman Is- lands courts would be best placed to handle the sub- stantive issues. “It would seem very odd for issues, such as whether or not the Cayman Islands can cope with the individuals in question, to be handled in London,” he said. Mr. Southey said the ar- guments concerned issues about how the Colonial Prisoners Removal Act re- lates to the Cayman Islands Bill of Rights, meaning Cayman’s Grand Court was the proper place for the case to be heard. “What is clear is that the issues raised in the grounds are properly fo- cused on the Bill of Rights. To the extent that there are any real issues in re- lation to the 1884 Act, they are not indepen- dent,” he said. “They re- quire consideration in con- junction with the Bill of Rights, which suggests very strongly these issues should be heard in the Cayman Islands.” “Eurozone membership will be at the forefront of the next election,” said Alicia Levine, the head of global in- vestment strategy at BNY Mellon Investment Manage- ment. “Should Italy leave the eurozone, it’s clearly bad for European assets and it’s bad for the European banking system.” Investors sold stocks, es- pecially companies that de- pend on strong sales outside the U.S. like technology and industrial companies and big drug and healthcare products makers. They bought govern- ment bonds in the U.S. as well as Germany and the U.K. That sent prices for those bonds higher and yields lower. The S&P 500 index sank 41 points, or 1.5 percent, to 2,679 as of 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. The Dow Jones indus- trial average lost 470 points, or 1.9 percent, to 24,282. It was down as much as 505 earlier. In Europe, Ita- ly’s benchmark stock index plunged 2.7 percent. Smaller U.S. companies, which tend to be more domes- tically focused than the large multinationals in the Dow, fared much better than the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 index fell just one-fourth as much as the Dow average, giving up 7 points, or 0.5 per- cent, to 1,619. The Nasdaq composite fell 63 points, or 0.9 percent, to 7,370. U.S. markets were closed Monday for the Memo- rial Day holiday. Italian President Sergio Mattarella picked Carlo Cot- tarelli for prime minister after the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and right- wing League refused to with- draw an anti-euro candi- date as economy minister. That ended their attempt to establish a government after inconclusive elections in March. Cottarelli is likely to lose a vote of no confi- dence in parliament, which would mean another round of elections. Investors dumped Italian stocks and bonds as a result. Yields on Italian government bonds soared as their prices declined. The yield on the 10- year Italian government bond jumped to 3.10 percent from 2.69 percent, a huge move. At the beginning of May the yield was just 1.78 percent. The sharp move higher re- flects weakening confidence among investors in Ita- ly’s government. The German DAX lost 1.5 percent and Britain’s FTSE 100 and the French CAC 40 both sank 1.3 percent. Some of the worst losses went to European banks: Germany’s Deutsche Bank dropped 6.5 percent to $11.27 and Banco Santander of Spain lost 9.7 percent to $5.28. “Uncertainty and the unknowns themselves af- fect the real economy,” said Levine, of Bank of New York Mellon. “You’ve going to have less investment, you’re going to have a decline in consumer spending, you’ve going to have, on the margin, less consumer activity af- fecting growth.” New jitters about the sta- bility of the euro sent the currency’s value against the dollar to its lowest level in almost a year. The dollar rose to 108.24 yen from 109.37 yen. The euro sank to $1.1531, its lowest since July, from $1.1669. Spain was facing political turbulence of its own. That country’s parliament will hold a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy after graft convictions of businesspeople and offi- cials tied to his conservative Popular Party. The Spanish IBEX 35 sank 2.5 percent. U.S. government bond prices jumped as investors moved money into lower-risk assets. The yield on the 10- year Treasury fell to 2.77 per- cent, its lowest since early April, from 2.93 percent. That sent interest rates sharply lower, which reduces profits for banks. JPMorgan Chase dropped 5 percent to $105.17 and Bank of America fell 4.7 percent to $28.75. U.S. crude oil fell 1.7 per- cent to $66.73 a barrel in New York. Oil prices have slumped in the last week following reports that OPEC coun- tries and Russia could start pumping more oil soon. Brent crude, used to price interna- tional oils, rose 0.1 percent to $75.39 a barrel in London. Wholesale gasoline gave up 1.7 percent to $2.14 a gallon. Heating oil shed 1.1 percent to $2.19 a gallon. Nat- ural gas dropped 2.2 percent to $2.88 per 1,000 cubic feet. Gold fell 0.4 percent to $1,299 an ounce. Silver lost 1 percent to $16.37 an ounce. Copper gave up 0.5 percent to $3.06 a pound. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.6 percent while the South Korean Kospi lost 0.9 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index plunged 1 percent. Now, they plan to host monthly two-day events and to open up the facility to other organizations, in- cluding the Cayman Motor- sports Association to host their own events. He said the aim was to get racing off the roads and on to the track. “Our primary purpose was to get some of the younger speed enthusiasts off the road and into a con- trolled environment,” Mr. Jackson said. “I am proud to say we have got a lot of these youngsters to come in and they have shown tremendous enthusiasm. They want somewhere to race their cars and com- pete, and that is what we are here for.” The venue already has planning permission as a multipurpose motor sports venue. Mr. Jackson said there would be some up- grades to the track and the surrounding buildings, as well as the spectator areas. “We are moving for- ward with some improve- ments to the facilities, in- cluding a shaded VIP area,” he said. “We have to make sure everything we do is properly managed and or- ganized. We have a safety- first mentality.” The next race day is Sunday, June 3, with a test and tune planned for Sat- urday, June 2. Mr. Jackson said the races would be a mix of one-on-one grudge match- ups and time trials. Ulti- mately, drivers will compete for a season championship. A financial journalist checks the course of the ‘spread’ caused by the nervousness of the markets due to political uncertainty, in Rome, Italy, on Tuesday. - PHOTO: AP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gang killers may have to take legal battle to UK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Italian turmoil batters stocks; Dow plunges CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Speedway club secures deal to use track Drivers take to the Breakers track in January this year. Organizers had secured use of the site for racing for the next two years. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Study estimates higher death toll in Puerto Rico post-Maria SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – A new study contends that many more deaths than normal occurred in Puerto Rico in the three months after Hurricane Maria dev- astated the island, mostly because of problems getting medicines or medical care. Researchers surveyed a small sample of neighbor- hoods and from that esti- mated that up to 4,600 more deaths than usual occurred, far more than earlier studies have suggested. At least one independent expert ques- tioned the methods and the number in the new study. “This estimate could be off by thousands. Easily,” Donald Berry, a professor of biostatistics at the Univer- sity of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told The Asso- ciated Press in an email. The research was pub- lished online in the New England Journal of Medi- cine. It’s the latest study to analyze how many people died during or after the Cat- egory 4 storm that hit the U.S. territory in September 2017, causing more than an estimated $100 billion in damage. Researchers led by Harvard University called the official toll of 64 deaths a “substantial underestimate.” Maria caused the lon- gest blackout in U.S. history, leaving the entire island of 3.3 million people without power, including those in hospitals and nursing homes who relied on respirators. Researchers surveyed 3,299 households earlier this year and used the findings to ex- trapolate to the whole island. They found that 31 percent reported disruptions in med- ical services, and more than 14 percent said they were un- able to access medications. “Indirect deaths resulting from worsening of chronic conditions or from delayed medical treatments may not be captured on death cer- tificates,” researchers said in the study. They calculated 4,645 more people died in the three months after Maria compared with the same period in 2016. One of the researchers, Rafael Irizarry of Harvard Univer- sity, told the AP that the esti- mate is uncertain because of its limited size, but that the study still provides valuable information, including how some people died. Previous studies have found that the number of di- rect and indirect hurricane- related deaths in Puerto Rico is higher than the official toll, including a 2017 report that there were nearly 500 more deaths than usual on the is- land in September. In late February, Puerto Rico’s governor announced that a team of experts at George Washington Uni- versity would lead an in- dependent review to deter- mine the number of deaths caused by Hurricane Maria amid ongoing accusations that the government under- counted the toll. A preliminary report was due in May, but Puerto Rico officials announced last week that the team requested and was granted more time.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 JERUSALEM (AP) – Israeli jets on Tuesday bombed targets in the Gaza Strip hours after militants from the territory fired more than 25 mortar shells toward communities in southern Israel in what ap- peared to be the largest single barrage since the 2014 war. The Israeli military said no one was hurt and that most of the shells were in- tercepted by the Iron Dome defense system, though one landed near a kindergarten shortly before it opened. The high volume of pro- jectiles came as tensions have been running high in recent weeks following the deaths of over 100 Palestinians from Is- raeli fire during mass protests along the border. Israel says it holds Gaza’s Hamas rulers re- sponsible for the bloodshed. “Israel will exact a heavy price from those who seek to harm it, and we see Hamas as responsible for preventing such attacks,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said fol- lowing the barrage. Shortly after that warning, Israeli jets began dropping bombs on what security of- ficials in Gaza said was an Islamic Jihad militant training site. Smoke was seen rising near the town of Deir al- Balah in the coastal strip, and the Israeli military said the explosions there were re- lated to its activity. No inju- ries were reported. The Israeli military said it carried out over 35 air- strikes on seven sites across Gaza, including an unfin- ished tunnel near the city of Rafah that crossed under the border into Egypt. The sudden surge in vio- lence brought back memories of the devastating 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. That round of fighting began with tit-for-tat attacks on both sides and escalated into a full-blown war that inflicted heavy damage on Gaza. “We are prepared for a great variety of sce- narios,” said the army’s chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis. “The way the coming days look will depend on the choices of the Hamas ter- rorist organization.” Islamic Jihad was believed to be behind the mortar fire, which appeared to be retali- ation for the deaths of three of its fighters in an Israeli air- strike earlier this week. But Is- rael believes Hamas, a larger Islamic militant group that controls Gaza, gave Islamic Jihad a green light to strike. “We are sticking to the right of return as well as responding to the Zionist crimes,” said Khaled al-Batsh, an Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza who also has helped co- ordinate the past two months of border protests. Ismail Radwan, a Hamas official, said the “resistance is capable of hurting the occupa- tion and it proved this today by responding to its crimes.” Elsewhere in Gaza, two fishing boats carrying stu- dents and medical patients set sail out of Gaza City’s port, aiming to reach Cyprus and break an 11-year naval blockade that Egypt and Is- rael imposed after Hamas seized power in Gaza. Hamas acknowledged it was mostly a symbolic act. The expedition would be a new way of challenging the blockade but also raises the possibility of more confronta- tion and violence. Israel bars Gaza boats from going more than six miles into the Med- iterranean Sea. Organizers said they lost contact with the ships when they were 12 nau- tical miles from shore, but it was not clear whether it was due to a technical issue or sei- zure by the Israeli navy. It also marks eight years since Israeli commandos raided a Gaza-bound aid flo- tilla, killing nine pro-Pales- tinian Turks and sparking an international outcry against the blockade. In southern Israel, angry residents complained about how vulnerable they felt after 15 years of rocket fire and threats from neighboring Gaza, which will likely put pressure on the government to retaliate. Regional councils near the Gaza border instructed residents to remain close to bomb shelters. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman convened the top military brass at his Tel Aviv headquarters to discuss the situation. “Hamas and Islamic Jihad have already paid a heavy price and the bill has just been served to them,” Lieberman said. The border area has been tense in recent weeks as the Palestinians have held mass protests aimed in large part at lifting the blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas seized power in 2007. Israeli fire has killed more than 110 Palestinians, most of them during the Hamas- led protests, which climaxed on May 14. The bloodshed has drawn strong interna- tional criticism, with rights groups saying Israel’s use of live fire is illegal because in many cases it has struck un- armed protesters who did not pose an imminent threat to Israeli soldiers. Israel says it is defending its border and nearby com- munities. It accuses Hamas of trying to carry out attacks under the cover of protests, and using civilian demon- strators as human shields. Hamas has vowed to con- tinue the border rallies. CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018 Wind storm in India leaves at least 10 dead At least 10 people were killed overnight as powerful winds swept through north India, flattening mud-walled homes and uprooting trees that slammed through houses and crushed people inside. India has been pummeled by storms in recent weeks, including one that killed 134 people. JAPAN NAVY REPORTS CHINESE SHIP SPOTTED FUELING NORTH KOREA TANKER TOKYO (AP) – Japan’s For- eign Ministry said Tuesday that a Japanese navy surveil- lance aircraft spotted a sus- pected Chinese-flagged ship apparently transferring fuel to a North Korean tanker on the open seas. A ministry statement said the two vessels were sus- pected of engaging in offshore ship-to-ship transfers banned by the U.N. Security Council. It said Japan has informed the U.N. Security Council of the May 19 sighting of the North Korean-flagged tanker, Ji Song 6, moored alongside the ship carrying a flag be- lieved to be Chinese in open seas in the East China Sea. Four photos taken by the Maritime Self-Defense Force were released, including two showing the ships alongside each other, connected by a hose. The U.N. has blacklisted the North Korean tanker. The disclosure of the al- leged transfer comes as prep- arations for an expected summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared to be in their final stages. Israeli jets bomb Gaza after mortar shells fired from strip The bloodshed has drawn strong international criticism, with rights groups saying Israel’s use of live fire is illegal because in many cases it has struck unarmed protesters who did not pose an imminent threat to Israeli soldiers. A Palestinian man inspects an observation post Sunday that was hit by an Israeli tank shell in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. – PHOTO: AP8 WORLD&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS MOVING IN? MOVING OUT? NEED SOLID ADVICE? Steve Parsons 916-5916 Pam Parsons 916-0018 Contact us for all things Real Estate www.PropertyPals.ky Member of CIREBA Man kills 3 in Belgium with guns of stabbed police officers LIEGE, Belgium (AP) – A knife- wielding man stabbed two police officers Tuesday in the Belgian city of Liege, stole their weapons and shot them and a bystander dead in an attack that prosecutors fear could be terror-related. The attacker, who was later killed by police, was an inmate who had been granted a few hours release Monday but failed to return to prison, officials said. It was not immediately clear why he was imprisoned, but media reports say that he’s a known drug offender. Liege prosecutors’ spokesman Philippe Dulieu said the man approached two police officers from behind carrying a knife and stabbed them several times. “He then took their weapons. He used the weapons on the officers, who died,” Dulieu told reporters. Dulieu said the attacker then shot dead a 22-year-old man in a vehicle that was just leaving a parking place out- side a nearby high school. The attacker then took a woman hostage inside the school. “Liege police intervened. He came out firing at po- lice, wounding a number of them, notably in the legs. He was shot dead,” the spokesman said. A senior official at the fed- eral prosecutor’s office told The Associated Press that “there are indications it could be a terror attack.” Despite this, Belgium’s crisis center said it saw no reason to raise the country’s terror threat alert for now. When asked about the report that the attack was terror-related, Liege city hall Michel Firket spokesman told the AP: “I know nothing formal about that. The police is doing its investigation. There are no formal conclusions.” A spokeswoman for the city mayor’s office, Lau- rence Comminette, told the AP that the children at the school were all safe. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said only that “there was a serious inci- dent.” He later met with Liege city officials. Yves Stevens of Belgium’s federal crisis center said that security in Liege is now under control, and that there was no reason yet to raise the national terror threat level. “There is absolutely no confirmation yet that the in- cident is terror-related,” Ste- vens told the AP. Video posted on Twitter by a person claiming to be a witness showed people run- ning in the area. About six gunshots could be heard. Belgian police and mili- tary have been on alert since suicide bombers killed 32 people at the Brussels airport and subway system in 2016. It’s not the first time Liege has been hit by a similarly violent attack. In December 2011, a man with a history of weapons and drug offenses left home with hand grenades and guns before he lobbed the grenades into a square filled with Christmas shop- pers and fired on those who escaped. Five were killed, in- cluding the assailant. The attacker, who was later killed by police, was an inmate who had been granted a few hours release Monday but failed to return to prison, officials said. Belgian Special Police at the scene of a shooting in the city of Liege, Tuesday, after a gunman killed three people, including two police officers. – PHOTO: AP Libyan rivals agree to Dec. 10 elections despite unrest PARIS (AP) – Rival Libyan leaders meeting in Paris on Tuesday tentatively agreed on a roadmap leading to parliamentary and presi- dential elections on Dec. 10, but the plan faces major ob- stacles in the North African country, where rival author- ities rely on an array of un- ruly militias. In an early sign of trouble, the Libyan leaders declined to sign a closing declara- tion outlining their commit- ments, which include laying the groundwork for the vote with new electoral laws and establishing a “constitutional basis” by mid-September. French President Em- manuel Macron, who hosted the conference, neverthe- less lauded the eight-point declaration as a “crucial step” toward stabilizing the country, which was plunged into chaos after the 2011 up- rising that toppled and killed Moammar Gadhafi. “It’s the first time these Libyan leaders accepted to work together and approved a joint declaration,” Macron said at the close of the brief conference, which brought together rivals from Libya’s west and east and represen- tatives of some 20 countries. “Now we have clear commit- ments for the country, an ap- proved calendar” for elec- tions, he said. The talks brought to- gether Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, head of Libya’s U.N.- backed government in Tripoli, and Gen. Khalifa Hifter, whose forces dominate eastern Libya. The conference aimed to forge a political roadmap that would restore order in Libya, where lawlessness has fed Islamic militancy, human trafficking and instability in the wider region. Moving to- ward parliamentary and presidential elections by the end of 2018 was a key goal. Sarraj said there was lin- gering disagreement over the setting of a “constitutional basis” for the vote, which the declaration said should be done by Sept. 16. He said the two sides had not agreed on whether this entails amend- ments to the country’s cur- rent laws or the drafting of a new constitution. A French diplomatic offi- cial, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the accord, raised the possi- bility of a delay of the elec- tions if the Libyans decide to proceed with a constitu- tional referendum. Macron brought Sarraj and Hifter together for a con- ference last July, producing a 10-point joint declara- tion that was the first of its kind between the rivals. It, too, looked toward elections and a cease-fire. That accord changed little on the ground in Libya, however, and critics dismissed the conference as a photo opportunity. The U.N. envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, said Tues- day’s agreement was a step forward. “This is a historic meeting. We do not speak in place of the Libyans. It’s the Lib- yans who agree all together in our presence. This is cru- cial,” Salame said. In the eight-point decla- ration that closed the con- ference, the Libyan leaders committed to accepting elec- toral results and ensuring funds and “strong security arrangements” for the voting. They also commit to work on “phasing out parallel govern- ment and institutions” and on “the unifying of the Libyan Central Bank and other institutions.” The language was tin- kered with to appease both sides, with “phasing out” used in place of “dissolve” in the point concerning the parallel governments, ac- cording to the French diplo- matic official. Libya is split between rival governments in the east and west. Representatives of Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, which have backed Hifter and the ad- ministration in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk, at- tended Tuesday’s conference. The agreement said little about what could prove to be the biggest challenge to holding elections and re- uniting the country – an array of Islamist, tribal and other militias that hold real power on the ground. “Of course there are Lib- yans who are opposed to this political process, others who are for a ‘status quo’ because they have an interest in it, others who are for disorder and instability. So we must not close our eyes,” an official at the French presidency said ahead of the conference. The official insisted, however, that “they are a minority.” France is trying to play peacemaker in a country where years of efforts by the United Nations and former colonial power Italy have failed to bring stability. The International Crisis Group, an NGO on conflict resolution, warned that the Paris conference might un- intentionally undermine the U.N.-led peace process. The group said in a state- ment Monday that “French organizers should avoid im- posing too rigid a frame- work.” It called for “a broader declaration of principles on political, security and eco- nomic steps that would help stabilize and unite the di- vided country.” Libya slid into chaos after the NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed Gad- hafi in 2011. France was at the forefront of the NATO air- strikes, carried out along with the United States and others. Elections were held shortly after Gadhafi’s de- mise, but failed to bring sta- bility. In the years since, Libya has emerged as a major conduit for African migrants hoping to reach Europe. In an early sign of trouble, the Libyan leaders declined to sign a closing declaration outlining their commitments, which include laying the groundwork for the vote with new electoral laws. French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, head of Libya’s UN-recognized government in Tripoli in the west, discuss during a meeting at the Elysee Palace Tuesday for the international congress on Libya in Paris. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY MAY 30, 2018 187828_HR-Butterfield-QrtPg-CompPage 1 5/28/18 3:18:11 PM DOCTORS SAY FUTURE UNCERTAIN FOR POISONED SKRIPALS LONDON (AP) – Doctors who treated poisoned ex- spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia say they ex- pected the pair to die, and still do not know what their long-term prognosis is. The Skripals were found unconscious in the Eng- lish city of Salisbury on March 4 after being ex- posed to a nerve agent known as Novichok. They spent weeks comatose in critical condition but have now been discharged. Britain says Russia was behind the poisoning with the military-grade nerve agent. Moscow strongly de- nies the allegation. The in- cident has sparked a Cold War-style diplomatic crisis between Russia and the West, including the expul- sion of hundreds of diplo- mats from both sides. Medical staff at Salis- bury District Hospital ini- tially suspected the Skri- pals had suffered an opioid overdose. Dr. Stephen Jukes, an in- tensive care consultant at the hospital, told the BBC that “when we first were aware this was a nerve agent we were expecting them not to survive. “We would try all our therapies, we would ensure the best clinical care. But all the evidence was there that they would not sur- vive,” he said in an inter- view broadcast Tuesday. Hospital medical di- rector Christine Blanshard said “we don’t know” what the long-term effects of the poisoning will be. Blanshard said “we have a total world experience of treating three patients for the effects of Novichok poisoning” – the Skripals and a police officer who came to their assistance. He was treated in hospital and released. “I think it’s safe to say that we’re still learning,” Blanshard said. Sergei Skripal, 66, is a former Russian intelli- gence officer who was con- victed of spying for Britain before coming to the U.K. as part of a 2010 prisoner swap. He had been living quietly in Salisbury, a ca- thedral city 90 miles south- west of London, when he was struck down. Starbucks closes over 8,000 stores for anti-bias training (AP) – Starbucks is closing more than 8,000 U.S. stores for a few hours Tuesday to conduct anti-bias training in the company’s latest step to deal with the fallout over the arrest of two black men at one of its shops in Philadelphia. After the incident last month, the coffee chain’s leaders apologized and met with the men, and also sched- uled an afternoon of training for 175,000 employees. “We still aspire to be a place where everyone feels welcome,” Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz said in an open letter Tuesday. He said the instruction will become part of how Star- bucks trains all its workers. According to a video pre- viewing the session, Star- bucks executives and rapper- activist Common were to deliver recorded remarks. From there, employees were to “move into a real and honest exploration of bias” where, in small groups, they can share how the issue comes up in their daily work life. Developed with feedback from the NAACP Legal De- fense and Education Fund, the Perception Institute and other advocacy groups, the four- hour session was designed to give workers a primer on the history of civil rights from the 1960s to the present day. The agenda included a short doc- umentary film. Training in unconscious, or implicit, bias is used by many corporations, police depart- ments and other organiza- tions. It is typically designed to get people to open up about prejudices and stereotypes. The Perception Institute, a consortium of researchers consulting with Starbucks, defines implicit bias as at- titudes – positive or nega- tive – or stereotypes someone has toward a person or group without being conscious of it. A common example, ac- cording to some of its studies, is a tendency for white people to associate black people with criminal behavior. Many retailers, including Walmart and Target, said they already offer some racial bias training. Target says it plans to expand that training. Nordstrom has said it plans to enhance its training after apologizing to three black teenagers in Missouri who were falsely accused by em- ployees of shoplifting. In the Philadelphia in- cident, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson were asked to leave after one was de- nied access to the bathroom. They were arrested by police minutes after they sat down to await a business meeting. The incident was recorded by cellphone and went viral. Nelson and Robinson settled with Starbucks for an undisclosed sum and an offer of a free college educa- tion. They also reached a deal with the city of Philadelphia for a symbolic $1 each and a promise from officials to es- tablish a $200,000 program for young entrepreneurs. Starbucks said the arrests never should have occurred. It has since announced anyone can use its restrooms, even if not buying anything. Calvin Lai, an assis- tant professor of psycholog- ical and brain sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, said people should not place high expectations on this one day. “We find that oftentimes diversity training has mixed effects, and in some cases it can even backfire and lead people who are kind of al- ready reactive to these issues to become even more polar- ized,” Lai said. Poland vows tough measures to stop hazardous garbage fires WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Po- land’s prime minister vowed tough measures Tuesday to fight a string of illegal fires at garbage dumps and landfills that has been producing haz- ardous smoke – in some cases trash imported by private companies from other coun- tries to be recycled. Mateusz Morawiecki said the burning trash is “ruining our health and the health of our children and we will do ev- erything to stop this practice.” He said lax regula- tions had contributed to the problem and announced at a news conference in Warsaw that he has tasked his envi- ronment minister to prepare new legislation in the next two weeks to “eliminate these pathologies.” TV stations in Poland have been showing footage of huge clouds of smoke billowing into the air from various dump sites, as firefighters try to contain the situation. In many cases, local res- idents were told to stay in- doors and keep windows shut, and a primary school in the village of Wszedzien was closed for a few days in cen- tral Poland while a nearby dump was burning. Morawiecki said he has asked Poland’s prosecutor general to investigate the fires. Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski said private com- panies pretend to bring sub- stances from abroad for re- cycling, but in fact “huge amounts of dangerous gar- bage are pouring into Poland in an uncontrolled way.” He said the garbage in- cluded medical refuse, greases, oils and other chemicals. Brudzinski said the situ- ation is the result of China shutting the door to its pro- cessing sites for garbage from Europe. Environment Min- ister Henryk Kowalczysk said there have been over 60 gar- bage dump fires across Po- land recently. Kowalczysk said he would present a set of new regula- tions next month that will increase inspection and sur- veillance of garbage sites. The time the garbage can be stored will be shortened from the current three years to one year, in a move that will prevent companies from piling it up. A store closing sign for May 29 is posted outside of a Starbucks store in Chicago. – PHOTO: AP Smoke billows from a burning garbage dump in the town of Zgierz on Saturday, one of over 60 dump fires across Poland in recent days. – PHOTO: APNext >