ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY JUNE 19, 2018 High of 88 Low of 75 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 TIME TO EXAMINE THE LOGIC OF OUR JUDICIAL PENALTIES SPORTS | PAGE 14 BRAZIL HELD TO 1-1 DRAW BY SWITZERLAND 187818_PRINT-Ad-Strip-Compass-FiPage 1 4/20/18 11:54:13 AM Future Sports Club seeks success on and off the field JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com At West Bay’s Future Sports Club, Coach Roy ‘Huta’ Ebanks says victories off the pitch are just as important as results on it. Mr. Ebanks guided the side to victory in the Presi- dent’s Cup final earlier this month. Tevin Yen scored twice to help the side to a 2-1 victory over Scholars In- ternational at the Ed Bush Stadium on June 3. The win was particularly sweet, said Mr. Ebanks, be- cause the core of the squad has been together since they were 11 years old. “This is a special genera- tion of players that started to- gether as part of the John A. Cumber primary school team. I would say 80 percent of the squad came from that team. They have stayed together and developed together and their patience and loyalty to the club has paid off.” Mr. Ebanks has been coaching at Future Sports Club since it was estab- lished by a group of West Bay youngsters with the sup- port of local leaders Floyd Bush and Bernie Bush nearly COMMISSIONER BYRNE ‘NOT A CANDIDATE’ FOR TOP IRISH POLICE JOB BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s senior police officer said Monday that he was not a candidate for the leader- ship post at Ireland’s national police force An Garda Siochana. Reports in the Irish media have surfaced over the past month that Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Commissioner Derek Byrne – a 36-year Garda veteran – was seeking to take the top job at his former police service. Mr. Byrne bluntly denied those reports Monday: “I am not a candidate for this post. I am committed to completing my contract here in Cayman where I am embedded in the work that I am doing.” Mr. Byrne joined the RCIPS in November 2016 after retiring from “the guards”- as Ire- land’s national police force is sometimes called. Typically, Cayman police commis- sioners are given four-year contract agree- ments, which would put Mr. Byrne at the RCIPS until late 2020. Former Garda Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan retired from the job in 2017 fol- lowing a number of allegations made about the Irish force’s treatment of one of its ser- geants – Maurice McCabe – who “blew the whistle” on a number of questionable acts within the Garda. Mr. Byrne, a former Garda assistant com- missioner, was interviewed at some length as part of a commission of investigation re- port into allegations of police misconduct at a particular division of the Irish national police force. The commission of investigation was the subject of a 363-page report by a retired Irish It’s back: Sargassum befouls local beaches JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Unsightly mats of sargassum weed have washed up in Grand Cayman, bringing with them a foul odor and potential problems for the tourism industry. Large swathes of coastline from Bodden Town to East End, as well as smaller pockets in West Bay and North Side, have been impacted. So far the island’s main tourist hub on Seven Mile Beach has not been af- fected. Parks department workers have been out in force since Thursday clearing public beaches. “We are trying our best, but as soon as we clear the beaches, more washes ashore,” said Mark Bothwell, manager of the parks unit. “Right now, it is a major issue because it comes in all at one time. We try to respond as quickly as possible but we can’t be in every place at once.” Over the past five days, he said staff had been to all corners of the island, shifting the seaweed by hand or using bulldozers where possible. “Luckily it has not impacted Seven Mile Beach as yet, which is where most of the tourists are.” In places on the eastern side of the is- land, the mats of sargassum stretched for up to 50 feet out to sea. Mr. Bothwell said they could not do A bulldozer clears masses of sargassum from Gun Bay in East End on Monday morning. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » The core of Future Sports Club’s winning team has been together since primary school. – PHOTO: BEN MEADE, CAYMAN SPORTS BUZZ2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY JUNE 19, 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. - TUESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) INCREDIBLES 2 (PG) 12:40 I 3:25 I 6:30 I 9:15 AVENGERS INFINITY WAR PART 1 (PG-13) 12:35 I 4:00 I 6:50 I 9:55 BREAKING IN (PG-13) 1:30 I 3:50 I 7:20 I 10:00 SUPERFLY (R) 12:30 VIP I 1:10 I 3:50 I 7:10 I 9:50 OCEANS 8 (PG-13) 1:15 I 3:20 VIP I 7:15 I 9:35 SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (PG-13) 3:50 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (PG13) 7:00 VIP BRAC AIRPORT CONDUCTS EMERGENCY EXERCISE Authorities took part in a detailed emergency pre- paredness exercise at the Charles Kirkconnell Inter- national Airport on Cayman Brac last week. The mock scenario involved a terrorist situation and featured a sim- ulated hijacking with fatali- ties and over a dozen people taken as hostages. Cayman Islands Airports Authority personnel took part in the exercise along with se- curity staff, Fire Service and Royal Cayman Islands Police Service officers. Individuals from Customs and Immigra- tion, Cayman Airways ground staff, the Cayman Brac Red Cross and National Cadet Corps were also involved. Andrew McLaughlin, CIAA’s head of safety, helmed the exercise. Shane Bothwell, CIAA’s head of security, super- vised the airport’s security of- ficers, and CIAA officers ob- served the exercise in real time via closed circuit television. The exercise was con- ducted after sunset and the airport had officially closed for the day. “We conduct prepared- ness exercises regularly both on Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman and we do this to hone our skills and abili- ties and improve our proce- dures,” Mr. McLaughlin said. “And we do this with as little inconvenience to actual daily users of our airports as pos- sible. We also debrief thor- oughly after each exercise to see where our gaps are, and in that case, what we should be doing better.” Brac CIAA Security Offi- cers Jan Svendsen and Lo- renzo Fredricks played the part of victims and hostages along with Customs Officer Dustin Bodden. The role of the hostage-takers fell to Cadet Corps’ Ricardo Henry and Wilson Bennett. Mr. Ben- nett played the role of the “shooter” in the exercise. Red Cross volunteers Anita Judister, Venice Camp- bell, Patricia Brown, Amaya Tahal, Hermine Jackson, Ca- dets Aliyah Williams, John Gayle, Naomi Carter and Chirston Ferguson took part, as did teachers Dee Blackman and Lori-Ann Bingham, and observers in- cluding Joshua Burke of Brac Air Traffic Control.Brac CIAA Security Officers Della Dilbert and Violet Walton played the role of make-up artists, effectively painting the gore and affixing the fake wounds on the victims. Cayman police rediscover their ticket books BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service has quadrupled the number of speeding tickets its officers have written during the first five months of this year when compared to the department’s ticketing output for 2017. Between January and May, RCIPS officers wrote an av- erage of 223 speeding citations per month, compared to last year when officers wrote just 54 speeding tickets per month. The police service has al- ready nearly doubled the number of speeding cita- tions written by officers for all of 2017 in just the first five months of this year. Through May 31, the RCIPS issued 1,117 speeding citations. During all of 2017, the department wrote just 647 such tickets. The massive increase in speeding tickets comes at a time when Cayman has seen a significant number of fatal car accidents. Between Feb. 15 and May 30, a total of six people have died in collisions on local roadways. Two of those crashes in- volved pedestrians being struck by vehicles in lanes of traffic: one on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway bridge near the Kimpton Seafire Resort on April 12; and an- other on May 28 along Sham- rock Road in Savannah. Of the other fatalities, two were single-vehicle crashes occur- ring in North Side and East End and two were two-ve- hicle accidents in George Town and Cayman Brac. “We continue to see far too many people travelling at ex- cessive speeds on our roads, which makes a tragedy that much more likely,” said RCIPS Inspector Ian Yearwood. A substantial increase in roadblocks and rush-hour traffic checks has already been noted across Grand Cayman, but the police plan for 2018 is to increase that further. A three-year policing management plan released for 2018-2020 calls for a “20 percent increase in traffic en- forcement over 2017” and for at least one major traffic en- forcement operation to be conducted per month. As far as speeding citations go, the RCIPS has already gone well over the 20 percent target. In addition to the speeding tickets, RCIPS officers also is- sued 171 tickets for illegal window tint and 96 tickets for using a mobile phone while operating a vehicle. The mobile phone cita- tions for the month of May 2018 are more than all the ci- tations for that offense police ticketed during the second quarter (April-June) of 2017. Thirty-eight people were ticketed for drunken driving during May as well. Revamped traffic unit Citations for traffic of- fenses like speeding tickets saw a sharp decline when RCIPS commanders down- sized the former Traffic Man- agement Unit in 2010-2011 to put more police officers in crime-fighting roles. The crime numbers came down, but so did the traffic tickets. By 2014, tickets for speeding had dropped to 659 for the year. In 2007, RCIPS of- ficers wrote more than 5,700 speeding tickets, averaging about 475 tickets per month. Annual arrests for things like drunk driving or other ticketable traffic offenses also fell steadily over the same period, RCIPS stats show. Last year, the former traffic management unit was revamped as the Traffic and Roads Policing Unit with an inspector put in charge of about a dozen officers fo- cused solely on traffic safety. Rare coral threatened by disease JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Scientists are attempting to save a rare species of “pillar coral” blighted by disease. Department of Environ- ment staff and visiting ex- perts began amputating healthy tissue from the af- fected corals on Monday. They plan to regrow it in coral nurseries and re-attach it to reefs using concrete epoxy. Tim Austin, deputy di- rector of the Department of Environment, said the black band disease had affected multiple colonies of pillar coral – towering structures that rise like skyscrapers from the reef. He said the corals were rare in Cayman and the de- partment had decided to act swiftly in an effort to save them. The outbreak, at a dive site known as “killer pillar,” was spotted by staff from EcoDivers who noticed black bands forming on the seven- foot tall structures. Mr. Austin said every- thing above the distinctive bands was still healthy and could be salvaged. A crew from the Depart- ment of Environment inves- tigated the site last week and were returning Monday to attempt to cut away healthy tissue from the af- fected corals. Tammi Warrender, a vis- iting scientist working with the department, said, “The disease spreads from the bottom up, so we can take the healthy part and re- plant it far enough away for it to regrow.” She said the department had consulted with experts in Florida where coral dis- ease has impacted large swathes of reef. “We think this is the best plan. We came to the con- clusion it is better to try to do something. This is one of the rarest corals on the reef,” she said. The DoE is also reaching out to dive centers around the island asking them to keep eyes open for other im- pacted coral colonies. Ms. Warrender said the broader concern was that rising water temperatures had caused coral bleaching in recent years in Cayman. She said the corals did re- cover from bleaching, but the stress left them more suscep- tible to disease. Gory preparations take place for the airport emergency exercise at the Brac Reef Resort conference hall on Cayman Brac. Black band disease has impacted pillar corals off Grand Cayman. RCIPS officers have written more than 200 speeding tickets per month so far in 2018. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 19, 2018 ENTRY DEADLINE: NOON, FRIDAY, JUNE 22 FLOWERS SEA SWIM 2018 PHOTO CONTEST TAG YOURSELF FIND YOUR PHOTO AT www.caymancompass.com/contests ENTRY DEADLINE: PHOTO CONTEST ENTER TO WIN A Westin Experience Package As Follows: • Two-night staycation for two • Dinner at The Beach House Restaurant for two with wine pairing • Drinks at the Catboat Bar prior and/or post dinner for two • Two one-hour massages at the Hibiscus SpaThe 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. Time to examine the logic of our judicial penalties “Let the punishment fit the crime.” – W.S. Gilbert, “The Mikado” Quick quiz: In terms of threats to the peace and public safety, which is more serious: A) Two-wheeled motorbikers popping wheelies, speeding, ignoring lanes of traffic and actually refusing to stop following a lawful order to do so by a con- stable, or; B) An otherwise law-abiding motorist who fails to install an updated license plate on his car? Common sense would require an answer of A, of course. Anyone answering B might consider a career in government – which, if proposed legislation is any indi- cation, apparently considers the crimes of license plate scofflaws to be far worse than those of marauding motorbikers – four times worse, to be exact. A proposal to slap motorists with a $10,000 fine for not displaying electronic license plates and tags on their vehicle is one of several proposed changes law- makers will consider as part of The Traffic (Amend- ment) Bill, 2018 when they meet later this month. The very same bill proposes to impose, by com- parison, a paltry $2,500 penalty for refusing to stop a motorcycle or moped upon the orders of a con- stable – illegal, dangerous and chronic behavior that police have consistently struggled to control, and which poses a significant threat to public safety and public order. This is only the most recent example of Cayman’s irrational and disjointed system of punish- ments that are disproportionate to the crimes they are intended to correct and control. It is a twisted calculus that would suggest that marauding motorbikers, who have been terrorizing Cayman despite a multi-year “crackdown,” warrant a fraction of the penalty as motorists whose only crime was failure to wait in an interminable line at the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing to obtain a license plate that serves no discernible purpose. Perhaps it is the same “alternative math” that leads to such enigmatic criminal sentences as a $1,000 “payment” required of a departing tourist who inadvertently brought a bag containing a stray bullet (a bullet missed by U.S. security screens). It is difficult to understand the public purpose that would be served by levying exorbitant fines for failing to adopt the new licensing scheme – the implementa- tion of which has been fraught with poor communica- tion and delays. It is worth repeating that Cayman never has been offered a reasonable explanation for the unreasonable expenditure of $1.5 million (at least) to implement the electronic tags. Officials say that when fully implemented, police and DVDL officials will be able to use hand-held devices to scan the tags and determine whether a vehicle’s licensing and registration is up-to-date – a task easily accomplished up to this point by anyone with eyes to see. When pitching the proposal, then-Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts suggested the new plates would allow police to monitor vehicles and issue tickets automatically. Frankly, we can conceive of no reasonable justifi- cation for such intrusive Orwellian tactics. From the outset we have been of the position that the electronic tags were a “solution” in search of a problem. TUESDAY JUNE 19, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS US economy under Trump is doing fine They do not call it the dismal science for nothing. Remember Paul Krugman predicting the apocalypse in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. And now with the economy clipping along at nearly 3 percent, deregula- tion and lower taxes reviving manufacturing, and con- sumers confidently spending again, some two-thirds of private sector prognostica- tors see a recession begin- ning as early 2020. The new doomsday sce- nario offered by the Con- gressional Budget Of- fice and others is that the economy is getting only a temporary jolt from tax cuts and increased government spending, and aggregate de- mand will tail off. Much of this has to do with political bias in a pro- fession where it has become fashionable to call the presi- dent a demagogue or simply ignorant and irresponsible, and to view with hypocrit- ical disdain any goal for policy he sets. It is one thing to dislike him but it’s another thing to ignore years of profes- sional research that pre- date his ascent. For example, forecast of a coming reces- sion denies that lowering corporate taxes provides more than a temporary jolt to cash flow – it also lowers the cost of capital in the United States as compared to other economies. Nonpartisan research predating the Trump candi- dacy indicates the 15 per- cent cut in taxes on busi- ness profits enabled by corporate reforms should in- crease investment between 7.5 percent and 15 percent. And in the current environ- ment of deregulation, the higher figure should more closely apply. Look for all that to boost growth in 2019 if something else bad does not happen. In the near term, little danger is apparent from overheating. Unemployment may be down to 3.8 percent but wages are not taking off. Simply, a good number of healthy recruits remain available among those who became discouraged during the Obama years, a stronger dollar is keeping competitive imports inexpensive, and ro- botics and artificial intelli- gence are kicking in. Headline inflation is piercing the Fed’s 2 percent threshold but that is largely because oil prices CLU8, -1.16 percent were depressed from 2015 to 2017. Bouncing gas prices have lifted head- line consumer prices but the trend in the core – prices less food and energy – has been decidedly downward since January. Consumers generally take a breather during the winter months, because the financial crisis taught them caution. Households have a good time shopping for the holidays and then pay down their bills in the first quarter–hence the tax cut only recently boosted con- sumer spending. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, unlike most pro- fessional economists, does not let what personal feel- ings he has toward politi- cians cloud his thinking. If the numbers continue to show core inflation subdued, he will recognize the Fed can do little but wreak havoc by boosting interest rates too quickly or too much. An intemperate surge in rates could be devastating internationally. The Euro- peans, whose statism most professional economists wor- ship, has failed to clean up its banks. The Brits are the exception but on the conti- nent Germany’s largest bank, Deutsche Bank DB, -2.26 percent, is still run badly, and in Italy, medieval prac- tices die hard. The dollar BUXX, +0.21 percent has become even more dominant globally, compelling businesses and governments to borrow greenbacks instead of in local currency. Overly ag- gressive Fed tightening could create crises for many of those debtors–look at Ar- gentina’s recent begging at the door of the International Monetary Fund. As for a trade war, econ- omists cannot get over the fact that free trade did not work out for the vast swath of interior America, because the Chinese hardly play by free-trade rules. A poorly conceived American response to Chi- na’s aggressive mercan- tilism could be devastating but doing nothing would be even worse. Look at the corrosive consequences of trade-driven unemploy- ment, social decay and opioid addiction in Ameri- ca’s rural communities and small cities. The trick is to penalize China in ways that make re- taliation difficult–and that can be done. If I have res- ervations about Trump, it is that his trade team listens to few outsiders because they are too busy arguing among themselves. Administrations that do not listen are nothing new. Barack Obama was in constant broadcast mode, and his economists could never be accused of having open minds. There is a resiliency about America when the govern- ment gets out of the way. Bank on that. History has been very unkind to those that short sell the United States of America – credentialed ex- perts included. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2018, The Washington Times, LLC. PETER MORICI Nonpartisan research predating the Trump candidacy indicates the 15 percent cut in taxes on business profits enabled by corporate reforms should increase investment between 7.5 percent and 15 percent. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 19, 2018 Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, July 2nd, Constitution Day (Public Holiday) Constitution Day PUBLIC HOLIDAY Monday, July 2nd PUBLICATION DEADLINES: Celebrate (345) 949-5111 • sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com EDITION BOOKING DEADLINE Monday July 2 No Publication Tuesday July 3 Thursday June 28 Wednesday July 4 Friday June 29 Thursday July 5 Friday June 29 Friday July 6 Tuesday July 3 3 men, 2 women graduate from Drug Rehab Court Initial resistance is common among participants KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com At Thursday’s celebration for the latest cohort to com- plete Cayman’s Drug Reha- bilitation Court, 13 people who are still in the program sat in the back of the court- room to observe the gradua- tion ceremony. The purpose of having those people there, said Mag- istrate Valdis Foldats, was so that they could take inspira- tion from the graduates, who spent years trying to com- plete the program and get their lives back on track. At the ceremony, Magis- trate Foldats talked about some of the struggles expe- rienced by the latest cohort, which comprised three men and two women. According to the mag- istrate, some of the pro- gram’s participants started using drugs as young as 13 years old, and some have been smoking crack for more than 25 years. One male graduate, who turned 50 years old in May, had 60 previous con- victions before he entered the program. Despite that, he insisted: “I don’t have a drug problem,” said Magis- trate Foldats. Finally, when faced with either entering Drug Court or going back to jail, the man took the former choice. At first, he was resistant to the program’s require- ments, which include six months sobriety from illicit drugs, full-time employment, voluntary service or studies, stable housing, successful completion of all court-or- dered treatment, and comple- tion of all specialized proba- tion terms. But after a while, he started to willingly partic- ipate in counseling sessions and other requirements. Now, says the man, “I’m honest with myself, and as a result, at peace.” The graduate’s initial re- sistance was a common theme among the partici- pants, especially the men. Another man also stated that he did not have a drug problem. After two relapses that led to seven-day re- mands – and two job losses as a result – the man finally admitted he had a problem. “I learned from my mis- takes and realize there’s no easy way,” he stated. “I worked hard to get back to this point again.” For one woman, Thursday was her second graduation. Re-entering Drug Court is no small choice, Magistrate Foldats said. In doing so, a person commits himself or herself to dozens of proba- tion meetings, hundreds of phone calls, and more than 60 court appearances. “Some people have to walk from West Bay or ride bikes to get to their appointments,” Magistrate Foldats said. “What we take for granted is a hurdle for them” However, he said it was the right choice. “When she relapsed, she came back to us. That’s what I hope everyone in this room does,” he said. “There’s no shame in relapsing. Even if you don’t have crim- inal charges, you can reach out to the people who helped you before.” Another woman relapsed in the midst of the program. When she did, the court made her write an essay about her mistake. “I made my mistake my teacher,” the woman stated in the essay. Her reward for com- pleting the program? “I finally got my life back.” MAN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO SNUG HARBOUR BURGLARY A man who was charged earlier this month for a bur- glary in Snug Harbour has been charged again in rela- tion to another burglary in that neighborhood. Police said they arrested the 45-year-old man, from George Town, on suspi- cion of burglary in relation to an April 11 break-in at a home on Palm Heights Drive, during which several per- sonal items were stolen. The man has been charged with possession of criminal property. He appeared in court on Friday and was remanded. The arrest was made while the man was on court bail after being charged with a burglary in Snug Harbour that was also committed in April. Bail withheld for firearm charges Crown elects to take charges to Grand Court CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Justin Gregory, 24, had bail withheld on Monday after he appeared in Sum- mary Court for possession of unlicensed firearms. Crown counsel Dar- lene Oko said police at- tended Mr. Gregory’s home in Bodden Town around 6:15 a.m. on Thursday, June 14. They were conducting a search based on informa- tion they had received. They searched Mr. Gregory’s bedroom, bath- room and closet. In the closet they saw the brown handle of a handgun and other officers were called to the scene. They retrieved a .38-caliber revolver. It had four rounds of am- munition in it. The firearm was later test fired and shown to be in working order. Defense attorney Jona- thon Hughes advised the court that there were six people in the house, and anything Mr. Gregory said to police was to protect his family and girlfriend. Ms. Oko said the Crown was electing to have the matter tried in Grand Court. Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats said he was with- holding bail, but Mr. Gregory could apply to the Grand Court. He set the preliminary inquiry for June 26. The inquiry is to determine if there is suffi- cient evidence to send the matter to the higher court. A press release from police indicated that Mr. Gregory’s girlfriend, 22, had also been arrested but was on police bail. She did not appear in court. Re-entering Drug Court is no small choice, Magistrate Foldats said. In doing so, a person commits himself or herself to dozens of probation meetings, hundreds of phone calls, and more than 60 court appearances. In the closet [police] saw the brown handle of a handgun and other officers were called to the scene. They retrieved a .38-caliber revolver. It had four rounds of ammunition in it. Car wrecks into downtown building An unidentified man lost control of the silver Kia Picanto he was driving on North Church Street on Saturday, flipped over and crashed into a building across from Da Fish Shack restaurant. Police said the man received only minor injuries in the 5:20 p.m. crash. He was treated at Cayman Islands Hospital and released. No arrests were made in the incident. This image circulated on social media after the crash.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY JUNE 19, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, JUNE 19 SEAFARERS SOCIAL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association advises all members that the June Social takes place at 7 p.m. in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Avenue. Prospect. Buses will be provided from West Bay Town Hall at 6 p.m. A bus route has been added in George Town, leaving the public library parking area at 7 p.m., stopping at Cayman Compass building and the Airport Foster’s. The bus is marked Bobo $1 Public transport and is blue in color. There is no charge. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20 INFLUENCES OF THE SEA: Talks by Caymanian seafarers at the National Gallery about preservation from a heritage angle and influences of the sea on Cayman culture and heritage. 6-7 p.m. All are invited. THURSDAY, JUNE 21 SKY OF HOPE: HospiceCare presents a synchronized lantern release at Seven Mile Beach, 6–9 p.m. All are invited to remember loved ones past and present with release of eco-friendly lanterns. Group pass, $500 for 10 lanterns and five bottles of bubbly/soft drinks. Family pass, $100, two lanterns, one bottle refreshment. Individual pass, $50, one lantern, one bottle. No alcohol option, $25, one lantern, soft drink. Food available for purchase. To reserve lanterns contact fundraising@ caymanhospicecare.ky or call 945-7447. SATURDAY, JUNE 23 BOOK SALE: The Red Cross Thrift Shop holds its quarterly book sale at Foster’s Strand, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Hard cover books are $2 each. Soft cover, $1. Children’s books, 50 cents. INTERNATIONAL FOOD FESTIVAL: At St. Ignatius School courtyard. 5-8 p.m. $10 ticket includes two choices of cuisine. Phone 949-6797 or email ignatius@candw.ky for tickets or further information. SUMMER FESTIVAL: The Celebrate Cayman Committee hosts a special summer festival on Harbour Drive. The National Museum will be open 5–9 p.m. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 CONSERVATION COUNCIL: The National Conservation Council will hold a general meeting from 1 p.m. at the Government Administration Building in room 2024. The Agenda of the meeting will be posted on the DoE website www.doe.ky/natl- conservation-council/general- meetings. This meeting is open to observers from the public and press. If anyone wishes to submit comments or questions to the Council in advance of the meeting they may do so via email to conservationcouncil@gov.ky. SATURDAY, JUNE 30 DEALS ON WHEELS: The mobile Thrift Shop of the Cayman Islands Red Cross will be in North Side, junction of Hutland and North Side Roads, from 6-10 a.m. Items available include ladies’ accessories and bags, clothing and shoes, books, toys, linens, household items and more. GENERAL INTEREST OLIVE MILLER EXHIBITION: At the Old George Town Library. Ms. Olive Miller is one of three Cayman residents who were recognized in the U.K.’s New Year’s Honors List. Betty Baraud and the late Dr. Bill Hrudey received MBEs, and are also featured in this exhibition, which is open until July 31. SEAMEN AND VETERANS: The Ministry of Community Affairs is providing additional dates for recipients of the Ex-Gratia Seamen & Veterans Benefit who need help completing the Seaman & Veterans Continuation Confirmation forms. Contact the ministry at 244-2426 or the Community Development Officers. Bodden Town, Flavia Gardner, 926-0490. West Bay, Vanda Powery, 916-7902. George Town, Dorline Welcome, 925-4083. NEW LICENSE PLATES: The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing has uploaded its list of new electronic license plates that are ready for collection. An additional 1,200 plates are now ready to be picked up from the DVDL office on Crewe Road. Vehicles owners are reminded that they must bring in the temporary/old plates, the windshield tag, as well as their logbook. The list can be viewed on the department’s website at www.dvdl.gov.ky. ESO FIELDWORK: Staff from the Economics and Statistics Office will be in various communities across all districts collecting basic housing information necessary to update the ESO’s Household Register. ESO staff members can be identified by their ESO IDs; residents should ask the field workers to present their IDs before providing any information. They may also call the hotline at 516-3329 for verification of enumerators or to express any concerns they may have. CONTRACTORS REGISTRATION: The Builders Board has extended the deadline for all local contractors to register with the board. The contractors’ deadline is now Tuesday, July 31, 2018. For fees and registration forms that are available online, contractors should visit www.planning.ky/boards-all/ builders-board. 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 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 centers. 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. FARMERS ARTISAN MARKET: Noon to 8 p.m. Wednesdays. Visual Arts Society artists sell arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry, ceramics and more at the VAS tents by KARoo Restaurant. For more information or to inquire about table space, email info@visualartcayman.com. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11 p.m. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socializing with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space, beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact 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, Tuesdays, 7:15 p.m. For details, contact Vanessa Gilman 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. The 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. Visit 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 The Wharf 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. 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. On Saturday, June 23, St. Ignatius School will hold an international food festival from 5-8 p.m..7 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 19, 2018 Notice Changes in Prime Rates on KYD and USD Effective 15 June 2018, Fidelity Bank (Cayman) Limited will increase the KYD and USD prime rates by 0.25% to 5.00%. The increase in the Prime rates follows a decision by the US Federal Reserve Bank to raise its Fed Funds rate by 0.25% on Wednesday, 13 June 2018. Cayman to host regional maritime regulation meeting Cayman will host the 23rd annual meeting of the Caribbean Port State Con- trol Committee for the Ca- ribbean Memorandum of Un- derstanding on Port State Control – an administrative agreement between 25 re- gional maritime authorities that deals with enforcing safety, environmental and other regulations. The meeting will take place from June 27-29, and will entail member jurisidc- tions working together to adopt a common approach to conducting port state con- trol inspections and to share information on ships they have inspected. The Caribbean MOU works in partnership with the Paris and Tokyo MOUs, making port state control a global effort to ensure ef- fective and harmonized in- spection procedures are followed throughout Euro- pean, Asian Pacific and Ca- ribbean waters. Cayman is one of the most highly ranked jurisdictions in the Paris and Tokyo MOUs. It was ranked first in the Paris MOU “white list” in 2016, and was recently ranked 11th of 99 flags on the white list of the 2017 annual report for the Tokyo MOU on Port State Control. According to the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Is- lands, being on the white list means that Cayman-flagged vessels have received one of the lowest detention ra- tios. For vessel owners, this translates to fewer delays while in port at any of the member authorities. “It also brings confi- dence and security to both the owners of Cayman Is- lands vessels, and the sea- farers who serve on them,” the Maritime Authority stated in its announcement about the ranking. Maritime Authority CEO Joel Walton thanked his staff and other departments for working together to en- sure that Cayman is one of the world’s best shipping administrations. “It is this commitment along with the quality ship- owners and partners who the Cayman Registry work with that has helped with the steady progress up the White List,” he said. “This recognition as one of the world’s leading flags reflects the years of work in partner- ship to maintaining an out- standing safety and quality record for the Cayman flag and drive the highest possible quality regula- tory standards.” Commonwealth conference comes to Cayman The 43rd Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association began on Monday at the Marriott Beach Resort. Delegates from jurisdictions in the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic attended the event, which has the theme of “building small developing states.” The event runs through Saturday, and will focus on topics such as de-globalization, climate change, and population growth. At right, House Speaker McKeeva Bush welcomes delegates, which included all the regional members except Canada, Cameroon and the Isle of Man, while Premier Alden McLaughlin looks on. – PHOTO: KEN SILVA MAN, 18, CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER Bail refused, case sent to Grand Court CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Lyle Sampson Alex- ander Peart, 18, appeared in Summary Court on Monday charged with at- tempted murder, and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm as an alternative. The charges arose from an incident at Margarita- ville on Harbour Drive in George Town in the early hours of Saturday, June 16. Crown counsel Darlene Oko said the victim was with a woman when Mr. Peart approached him and an incident occurred. The victim sustained life-threatening injuries, Ms. Oko said. There were multiple stab wounds to his chest and abdomen that damaged the liver and a lung. Emergency surgery had to be performed to stop internal bleeding. Defense attorney Ol- iver Grimwood applied for bail explaining that his client said he had acted in self-defense. He pointed out that Mr. Peart had left the scene, but when he heard that po- lice were looking for him, he voluntarily attended the police station. The defendant holds two jobs, Mr. Grimwood added, and would be easy to monitor electronically. Magistrate Valdis Fol- dats refused bail, but said Mr. Peart could apply to the Grand Court. Both charges are Category A, which means they can be dealt with only in Grand Court. The magis- trate committed the case to the higher court, where it will be mentioned on Friday, June 29. MAN WOUNDED IN EAST END A man received un- specified wounds after an altercation Friday night in East End, police said. Officials said officers responded to the vicinity of the Pirates Cove Bar at about 10 p.m. after reports of a fight. The injured man had been transported to Health City by private car before police arrived. The man was then trans- ported to Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town for treatment. His wounds were not considered to be life threatening. Police are looking for any witnesses to the Friday night fight, which involved at least two men and is believed to have occurred just outside Pi- rates Cove Bar. Those with any information are asked to call Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2240, or the Crime Stoppers call center in Miami at 800-8477 (TIPS) or online at www.crimestoppers.ky/home. Cayman is one of the most highly ranked jurisdictions in the Paris and Tokyo MOUs.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 much to move the masses until they washed ashore. He said the department was fielding calls from people complaining about the smell. “All we can say is that we are doing our best and hoping for the wind to change,” he said. At Compass Point dive re- sort in East End, Steve Broad- belt, said the sargassum weed was so thick last week that guests were unable to get in the water from shore. He said the boats could still access the dock but one suffered steering problems because of the thick weed. “I’ve only seen it like this three times in Cayman. Last time it caused problems for a week or so and then went away overnight. “This stuff grows out at sea. If you take a flight to the Sister Islands, you will see these huge floating islands of sargassum. It seems to have got worse and I guess it is something we are just going to have to deal with. “Whenever the wind points in our direction, it is going to come here and sit until the wind changes.” Sargassum weed influx can be an economic problem as well as an inconvenience. Already this year in An- tigua, at least one resort has announced a three-month shut down after its beach- front was continually over- whelmed with sargassum. In Barbados, the situa- tion has been declared a na- tional emergency and the Barbados Defence Force has been called in to help keep the beaches clear. The phenomenon of such large sargassum blooms as far south as the Carib- bean is relatively new and has been puzzling scien- tists since 2011. The University of South Florida, which has begun producing a “sargassum out- look bulletin,” warned earlier this year that satellite im- agery suggested 2018 would be a record bloom year for the Caribbean and central west Atlantic. Hazel Oxenford, professor of marine ecology and fish- eries at the University of the West Indies, and one of the speakers at the Gulf and Ca- ribbean Fisheries Institute conference in Cayman in 2016, told the Cayman Com- pass at the time that sar- gassum invasions could be- come the “new normal” for Caribbean beaches. She said a little sar- gassum is a good thing for coastal ecosystems, but too much could be disastrous. “When it starts coming ashore in massive quantities and when it gets stuck in the near-shore area and starts to give off that rotten egg smell, it becomes a real problem for tourism,” she said. TUESDAY JUNE 19, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS two decades ago. He said the founders and administrators that had worked with the club over the years, including his wife Sarah Orrett, had put the emphasis on developing people as well as devel- oping footballers. With so many competing influences for young men in the West Bay district, he said the club tried to provide direction and positive influ- ence in its players lives. “All of the players in our program have either gone off to college and got degrees or they have gone to UCCI or got a job. At our club, we take a holistic approach to player development.” He said the club kept a check on its youth players’ grades in school and helped parents support their kids in improving grades. “Some of them have been off to university and come back with degrees in finance, business, psychology,” he said. “For us, it is not just about developing a win- ning team; it is about using the sport to develop players with the right at- titude and skills to suc- ceed in life.” Mr. Ebanks sees signs of progress in youth develop- ment across several teams in the Cayman Islands. Another West Bay side, Scholars FC, were the league title win- ners, while Academy FC, an- other club with strong youth programs, won the FA Cup. “It is good to see the titles all spread out,” Coach Ebanks said. “Last year Bodden Town won everything.” He hopes the sport can become more organized on a national level and help more young people achieve their goals. “Sport can be a way to a better life,” he said. high court judge issued in May 2016. Justice Kevin O’Higgins concluded the following about Mr. Byrne’s participation in the review: “Assistant Commissioner Byrne gave evidence to the commission in a forthright, honest and helpful manner. He is a man of integrity and a highly competent member of An Garda Sio- chana, clearly committed to the good of the force. The commission is absolutely satisfied that the public can repose trust in him in the exercise of his duties.” The Dublin native has a 39-year career in law en- forcement, spending the last 20 months in Cayman. He joined the Garda in 1979 and was appointed as assistant commissioner of national support ser- vices there in May 2007, according to the Irish na- tional police website. He unsuccessfully sought the commissioner’s post for the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2014. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 It’s back: Sargassum befouls local beaches Future Sports Club seeks success on and off the field Commissioner Byrne ‘not a candidate’ for top Irish police job CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 RCIPS Commissioner Derek Byrne CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Trump announces plans for Pentagon to create ‘Space Force’ CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – Vowing to reclaim U.S. lead- ership in space, President Donald Trump announced Monday he is directing the Pentagon to create a new “Space Force” as an indepen- dent service branch aimed at ensuring American su- premacy in space. Trump envisioned a bright future for the U.S. space pro- gram, pledging to revive the country’s flagging efforts, re- turn to the moon and even- tually send a manned mis- sion that would reach Mars. The president framed space as a national security issue, saying he does not want “China and Russia and other countries leading us.” “My administration is re- claiming America’s heri- tage as the world’s greatest spacefaring nation,” Trump said in the East Room, joined by members of his space council. “The essence of the American character is to ex- plore new horizons and to tame new frontiers.” Trump had previously suggested the possibility of creating a space unit that would include portions equivalent to parts of the Air Force, Army and Navy. But his directive will task the Defense Department to begin the process of estab- lishing the ‘Space Force’ as the sixth branch of the U.S. armed forces. He said the new branch’s creation will be overseen by Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “When it comes to de- fending America, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space,” Trump said. He added: “We are going to have the Air Force and we are going to have the Space Force, separate but equal.” The president also used the White House event to establish a new policy for reducing satellite clutter in space. The policy calls for pro- viding a safe and secure en- vironment up in orbit, as sat- ellite traffic increases. It also sets up new guidelines for satellite design and opera- tion, to avoid collisions and spacecraft breakups. Trump was joined by Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the recently re- vived space council, and sev- eral Cabinet members, NASA Administrator Jim Briden- stine, retired astronauts and scientists. The council’s execu- tive secretary, Scott Pace, told reporters before the meeting that space is be- coming increasingly con- gested and current guidelines are inadequate to address the challenge. President Donald Trump shows off a ‘Space Policy Directive’ Monday after signing it during a meeting of the National Space Council in the East Room of the White House in Washington. – PHOTO: AP Trump envisioned a bright future for the U.S. space program, pledging to revive the country’s flagging efforts, return to the moon and eventually send a manned mission that would reach Mars. Sargassum is piled on the Gun Bay shoreline, as the Recreation, Parks and Cemeteries Unit works Monday to clear the beach. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 19, 2018 Europe asylum-seeker numbers plunge in 2017 The European Union’s asylum office said Monday that 728,470 requests were made for protection in 2017, compared to almost 1.3 million applications the previous year. It says around 30 percent of the applicants come from conflict-torn countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Merkel, allies avert collision for now in German migrant row Audi CEO detained in diesel emissions case BERLIN (AP) – German au- thorities on Monday de- tained the chief executive of Volkswagen’s Audi division, Rupert Stadler, as part of a probe into the manipulation of emissions controls. The move is an extension of the emissions scandal that has rocked Volkswagen since 2015 and led to billions in fines, the arrest of executives and the indictment in the U.S. of its former CEO. Stadler’s detention fol- lows a search last week of his private residence, or- dered by Munich prosecu- tors investigating the man- ager on suspicion of fraud and indirect improprieties with documents. “Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was provisionally arrested this morning,” the com- pany said in a statement. It said shortly afterward that a judge had ordered him kept in custody pending pos- sible charges at prosecu- tors’ request. The company said that it could not comment fur- ther due to the ongoing in- vestigation, but stressed that “the presumption of inno- cence remains in place for Mr. Stadler.” German news agency dpa reported that prosecutors de- cided to seek Stadler’s arrest due to fears he might try to evade justice. A former head of Audi’s engine development unit is already in investiga- tive detention. A total of 20 people are under suspicion in the Audi probe, which focuses on cars sold in Europe that were be- lieved to be equipped with software that turned emis- sions controls on during lab testing and off again during regular driving to enhance road performance. Audi said in a statement last week that it was “coop- erating with the authorities” in the probe. Volkswagen first ad- mitted in 2015 of using software to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. That has cost it $20 billion in fines and civil settlements. Volkswagen has pleaded guilty to criminal charges in the United States and nine managers, including former CEO Martin Winterkorn, were charged there. Two are serving prison terms; Winter- korn and the others remained in Germany and are unlikely to be extradited. German authorities this month fined Volkswagen $1.2 billion as part of their own investigation. They are also investigating Winterkorn and 48 others. The arrest of the Audi CEO comes just weeks after Volkswagen tapped a new CEO to move the company past the scandal. Herbert Diess was given the top job in April and he said that be- sides focusing on new tech- nologies, like electric cars, he wanted to build a more open, values-based culture to avoid the cheating that led to the emissions scandal. Volkswagen shares were down 2.1 percent at 157.66 euros in Frankfurt trading. BERLIN (AP) – Chancellor Angela Merkel’s allies in Ba- varia averted an immediate collision Monday with the German leader, giving her two weeks to make deals on migration with other Euro- pean countries instead of turning them back unilater- ally at Germany’s border. In her fourth term at the helm of Europe’s largest economy, Merkel made it clear that she has no inten- tion of being pushed around after an internal power struggle over immigration escalated into a threat to her government. She said she would report back July 1 on the results of her negotiations, and that as far as she’s concerned it’s not yet clear what will happen if there’s no European deal on the divisive topic. Her interior minister, Horst Seehofer, has been calling for Germany to turn back migrants at the border who have previously ap- plied for asylum or regis- tered as asylum-seekers in other European countries. Merkel opposes such uni- lateral action, arguing that it would increase pressure on Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Greece and weaken the entire 28-nation European Union. Seehofer heads the Ba- varia-only Christian So- cial Union, the sister party to Merkel’s Christian Demo- cratic Union. The CSU is de- termined to show that it’s tough on migration, arguing that this is the best way to cut support for the anti-mi- gration, far-right Alternative for Germany party ahead of a challenging state election in Bavaria in October. A CSU leadership meeting Monday in Munich unani- mously backed Seehofer’s plan to give Merkel until the end of the month to find a solu- tion with other EU countries. That banished – if only for now – the specter of Seehofer pushing through his proposal in defiance of the chancellor, which would risk bringing down her government. Asked in Berlin whether her government can work well until the end of its term in 2021 and whether she is still in full control, Merkel re- plied: “Yes to both.” Merkel emphasized the need for Germany’s conser- vative parties to stick to- gether, but she and Seehofer may only have delayed a head-on clash. “It is in Germany’s in- terest to achieve the regula- tion of migration in a good partnership with our Euro- pean neighbors,” Merkel said after her CDU’s leadership met. “We think that turning people back without consul- tation at our borders, as a country at the heart of Eu- rope, could lead to negative domino effects that could also hurt Germany and ul- timately lead to the ques- tioning of European unity.” Merkel said she will hold talks on bilateral agreements with other European coun- tries at and around a June 28-29 EU summit. She said her party will consider the results on July 1 “and decide how to proceed in light of what has been achieved.” There is, she insisted, “nothing automatic” about what happens next. It was not immediately clear what she might offer other countries in talks. Merkel said she will have to discuss “what is important for others; I can’t say today what that is.” In Munich, Seehofer said his party would be happy to see European or bilateral solutions this month that “achieve the same that we can achieve by turning people back at the border.” “We wish the chancellor success in this,” he said. “But we stand by our posi- tion that, if this does not suc- ceed, turning people back im- mediately at the border must be possible.” Seehofer said he had told fellow leaders that “we’re not out of the woods yet.” He said he would go ahead with preparations to block some asylum-seekers at the border. He said, if Merkel’s negotiations on get- ting other countries to take back migrants do not bear fruit, he will talk with her party but “I want be able to put this into effect.” The spat over immi- gration has laid bare the deep tensions in a frac- tious German govern- ment that took office only in March, after nearly six months of postelection hag- gling, and exposed the limits of Merkel’s authority. The two conservative parties govern Germany in a coali- tion with the center-left So- cial Democrats. Seehofer and Merkel have long had an awkward rela- tionship. In his previous job as Bavarian governor, See- hofer was one of the leading critics of Merkel’s decision in 2015 to leave Germany’s borders open as migrants streamed across the Balkans. Most first arrived in Ba- varia, which borders Austria. More than 1 million migrants came to Germany in 2015 and 2016, though numbers have since dropped sharply. In Brussels, the EU asylum office said Monday the number of people ap- plying for international pro- tection in Europe plunged last year but remains higher than before 2015, when more than one million migrants entered, many fleeing the war in Syria. The office said 728,470 application requests were made for international pro- tection in 2017, compared to almost 1.3 million appli- cations the previous year. Around 30 percent came from conflict-torn countries such as Syria and Iraq. Merkel emphasized the need for Germany’s conservative parties to stick together, but she and Seehofer may only have delayed a head-on clash. The move is an extension of the emissions scandal that has rocked Volkswagen since 2015 and led to billions in fines, the arrest of executives and the indictment in the U.S. of its former CEO. Rupert Stadler, CEO of German car producer Audi German Chancellor Angela Merkel German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer GERMANY WILL FAIL 2020 CLIMATE GOALS, NOW EYES 2030 TARGET BERLIN (AP) – Germany will likely miss its goal of cutting emissions by 40 percent by 2020, the country’s environ- ment minister said Monday, an embarrassing admission for a government that wants to lead the charge on lim- iting climate change. Official estimates project that Europe’s biggest economy will trim its green- house gas emissions by 32 percent or less by 2020 com- pared to 1990 levels. The next target, a decade later, calls for a 55 percent drop in emissions from 1990. “It’s painful for me to have to tell you that we will miss the targets we’ve set for ourselves for 2020,” Svenja Schulze told dele- gates from more than 30 governments who had gath- ered in Berlin to prepare for an annual global cli- mate summit in December. Setting her country’s sights on 2030, Schulze said all sectors of the German economy would have to contribute cuts, but singled out transportation in par- ticular, where emissions re- main at 1990 levels. Schulze also called for greater efforts to generate renewable energy and for an end to burning coal to produce electricity. The German government cre- ated an expert commission this month to study the po- litically sensitive issue of coal-fired power plants. The December summit in Katowice, Poland, will pro- vide the first true test of the world’s ability to implement the 2015 Paris climate ac- cord. The treaty set a polit- ical target of keeping global warming significantly below 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, but left open how that would be achieved. Germany has pushed for international unity on up- holding the Paris accord, particularly since U.S. Presi- dent Donald Trump said he was pulling out of the deal his predecessor negotiated.Next >