High of 89 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 LOOKING THE HURRICANE SEASON IN THE EYE SPORTS | PAGE 15 CAYMAN MEN’S TEAM WINS AS RAIN CUTS SHORT SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 187840_PRINT-Ad-Strip-Compass-FiPage 1 9/3/18 11:06:57 AM ENVIRONMENT CHIEF REMOVED FROM CRUISE PROJECT COMMITTEE JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Department of Environment is no longer represented on the steering committee overseeing the cruise berthing project. Gina Ebanks-Petrie, the director of the DoE, confirmed Friday that she was no longer part of the committee, which is made up of a va- riety of representatives from relevant govern- ment agencies and is tasked with overseeing progress on the project. An environmental impact assessment, completed in 2015, highlighted multiple en- vironmental implications stemming from the project, the most serious being the impact on coral reefs in George Town harbor. The Ministry of Tourism had not responded by press time Monday to questions from the Compass about the new makeup of the board. The development comes amid increas- ingly vocal opposition to the cruise berthing project. Supporters of plans for a referendum on the cruise project collected around 800 signatures from registered voters Saturday – IGUANA CULLLERS SEEK LOOSER AIR GUN RULES JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Environment officials are in talks with po- lice in an effort to relax Cayman’s gun reg- ulations in order to fast track new air-rifle permits for an islandwide cull of invasive green iguanas. Police have already committed to amending existing air gun licenses to allow cullers to use their weapons in public areas, according to Gina Ebanks-Petrie, director of the Depart- ment of Environment. But the DoE is also hoping police will create a fast track permitting system to allow new people to be registered for the cull, which will start next month and could involve as many as 100 hunters. She said many current air gun licenses con- tained conditions restricting on where they can be used, which would be problematic for the cull, which requires registered iguana hunters to go wherever they can find the invasive lizards. Abraaj given more time to sell assets KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Grand Court Justice Robin McMillan granted a two-month extension on Monday of the provisional liquidation of the Cayman-registered Abraaj Hold- ings, giving the troubled com- pany more time to avoid being wound up at the behest of a major creditor. Abraaj Holdings is a major part of the Abraaj Group, which was once the largest private eq- uity firm in the Middle East. However, the firm allegedly owes creditors some US$1 billion and has been accused of misusing hundreds of millions of dollars, including funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation. In May, Kuwait’s Public Insti- tution for Social Security filed a petition to wind up Abraaj Hold- ings and liquidate its assets after Abraaj allegedly defaulted on a US$100 million loan. Abraaj Holdings also filed an applica- tion, this one to have provisional liquidators appointed over it, which the firm said would allow it to restructure its debt, protect the rights of all stakeholders, and continue its day-to-day op- erations with minimum impact. The Grand Court granted Cayman’s oldest citizen turns 104 Elizabeth Hurlston, Cayman’s oldest resident, celebrated her 104th birthday on Friday, Aug. 31, surrounded by family, friends and members of the Pink Ladies, the organization that she helped form in 1980 with her friend Olive Miller. The day held memories for the cente- narian, and that day Haiti was uppermost in her mind. That country has always held a soft spot for Mrs. Hurlston as that is where she and her husband first settled, and that is where, until the age of 94, she embarked upon countless mission trips with members of her beloved Elmslie Church. In Haiti she was often found teaching women to sew, with the intent that they use the skills to better their life. Vita and Bresile St. Germain, who was a minister in Haiti years ago and who still lives and preaches in Ft. Lauderdale, came for her party. Also present was another Haitian, Rev. Louis Sully and his wife Ann of Hand and Way International who will be setting up the new Elizabeth Hurlston Sewing School in Haiti. When she received the Pink Ladies’ gift of sewing material and a check for $215 toward the purchase of a sewing machine for the new sewing school, Mrs. Hurlston smiled and clapped her hands. Born in the Turks and Caicos, she first came to Grand Cayman in 1919 with her PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Elizabeth Hurlston, seated at table, celebrates her 104th birthday Friday with, from left, Judy Massie, Aileen Macdonald, Faye Lippett, seated, Selma Silva, Maureen Collins and Olive Miller.2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 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) REPRISAL (R) 2:00 I 4:25 I 6:50 I 9:25 KIN (PG13) 1:35 I 4:05 I 7:15 I 9:45 CRAZY RICH ASIANS (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 4:20 I 9:55 MISSION : IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT (PG13) 3:50 I 9:30 SEARCHING (PG13) 2:20 I 4:50 I 7:30 I 10:00 CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (PG) 1:25 I 7:00 THE MEG (PG13) 1:35 I 3:40 VIP I 7:10 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: SCARFACE (1983) (R) 7:00 VIP Visiting Gynecologist will be available for consultation at Novo Clinic, Britcay House 236 Eastern Avenue from 4-26 September, 2018 For appointments please call +1 (345) 746-6082 clinic@novocayman.com Entertainment community mourns loss VICTORIA WHEATON vwheaton@pinnaclemedialtd.com The local entertainment community is mourning the loss of one of their own. Charles “Greggie” Gregory, who was a musician, singer, sound engineer and owner of Hopscotch Studios, passed away on Sunday. Mr. Gregory, 64, was born in Jamaica, but moved to the Cayman Islands at the age of 7. Musician and vo- calist Lammie Seymour re- membered when he, Mr. Gregory, Jonathan Ebanks and George “Gigo” Powell formed the Memory of Jus- tice band in 1976. “Greggie was the lead vocalist at the time,” said Mr. Seymour. “We used to record our songs in a small studio off Eastern Av- enue – Kaymaniac Studios. “Over the years, Greggie became a self-taught studio engineer.” Jean-Eric Smith, presi- dent of the Cayman Music and Entertainment As- sociation, also recalled the decades he worked with Mr. Gregory. “He was like family,” Mr. Smith said. “I’ve known him since the days of [my band] The Juveniles and [his band] Memory of Justice. We per- formed together a lot. “It used to be that if we had a concert on the island, bands would piecemeal their sound equipment together for it; there were only stan- dard PA systems available. Greg took us into the age of professional concert sounds.” Leaving behind his role as a performer to become a full-time studio and sound engineer, Mr. Gregory opened Hopscotch Studios in 1994. He was always to be found behind his mixing board or setting up equipment on stage at large local festivals such as Taste of Cayman, Pi- rates Week and Jazz Fest. Despite losing everything in Hurricane Ivan in 2004, for which he was uninsured, Mr. Gregory completely re- built his business. He has had such notable artists as Rascal Flatts and Tami Chynn recording in his studio and was awarded the Long Service Award by the Cayman Music and En- tertainment Association, making him a distinguished member of that organization. David Kirkaldy of Massive Equipment Rental added his memories of working with Mr. Gregory. “Greggie, as I knew him, was many things; a talented and pioneering musician, a sought after and respected sound engineer, a man of his word, a gen- tleman, and a family man,” said Mr. Kirkaldy. “A calm and cool figure behind the scenes of many of the largest events in Cayman over the past several decades, Greg and his talent and gener- osity will be missed by me and by many.” Mr. Seymour echoed those sentiments: “I’ve lost a great friend and the music industry has lost one of its giants.” In a statement issued Monday afternoon, police said Mr. Gregory had been found unresponsive at an address in North Sound Road, George Town, shortly before 7:30 p.m. Sunday and was pronounced dead at the scene. Leaving behind his role as a performer to become a full-time studio and sound engineer, Mr. Gregory opened Hopscotch Studios in 1994. Charles Gregory at his mixing board during Taste of Cayman 2017. - PHOTO: DAVID KIRKALDY The members of Memory of Justice band, clockwise from left, George ‘Gigo’ Powell, Jonathan Ebanks, Charles Gregory and Lammie Seymour. Cayman musician Melvin Augustine passes JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Much-loved musician and bandleader Melvin Aloysious Augustine died at the Cayman Is- lands Hospital Friday at the age of 72, following a short illness. Born in the village of Seine Bight, Belize, Mr. Augustine moved to the Cayman Islands when he was in his twenties to work for the Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service. His love for Punta music rocked Cayman in the early ‘80s as he went on to form the band Settlers and cut his own records and CDs. Some of his biggest hits, “Bag a Sugar,” “Munzie’s Boat in the Sound,” “Fun Neva Done,” “My Mistake” and “Show your Motion,” drew people islandwide, es- pecially in the 1980s when Pedro St. James Castle was known as the spot for good food and good music and where Mr. Augustine’s band was the star element. After he became sick and could no longer drive, he would sometimes travel by foot, with his guitar on his back, from his home in Woodland Drive in Sa- vannah to visit friends, in- cluding the writer of this article. He would spend hours on her porch, playing songs from his albums and reminiscing about birthday parties he had performed at in her home. “The fingers not so flex- ible anymore,” he would say as he played a tune on his guitar. But, once started, there was no stopping him until some food or drinks were passed around. “Got to leave now, have to visit my best friend Cedric,” he would say. Growing up in Belize, Mr. Augustine learned music from his uncle who took him along on gigs as a backup drum player. He became a professional sax- ophonist but played many musical instruments. When the band members wanted to drink and enjoy the party, Mr. Augustine would take over. As a young man, he joined the police service in Belize before coming to Cayman, where he worked as a constable, but also as a tailor and band leader within the police service. He retired in 2007. He went on to teach music at the Lighthouse and Red Bay Primary schools, where he cherished the chance to give the chil- dren basic music lessons and to build relationships with the young people. He said he enjoyed it because the children re- ally wanted to learn. He was teaching them how to use music as a therapy and life skill. “I was sorry when I had to leave,” he said at the time. Reflecting on the ever- changing Cayman music scene, he said music was a lot different today and he felt it was more about busi- ness than having fun. Mr. Augustine is sur- vived by his wife Ina and children Calvin, Denise and Daniel. His funeral ser- vice will be announced at a later date. Melvin Aloysious Augustine, musician and bandleader, died Friday. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 OCTOBER , The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman www.breastcancerfoundation.ky info@breastcancerfoundation.ky PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR Featuring Special Guest Speaker Shannen D hert THANK YOU TO OUR SPECIAL MENTION SPONSORS Overstayer sought amnesty – in 2010 Man stayed and worked without a permit since October 2006 CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com An overstayer who has remained in the Cayman Is- lands without permission since 2006 was jailed for 12 months after he appeared in Summary Court last week. Rohan O’Neil Dixon was stopped by immigration of- ficers last month, during an immigration amnesty. The court heard that Mr. Dixon has bought a ticket to leave the Cayman Islands on Sept. 4, four days after the amnesty deadline. Mr. Dixon had also at- tempted to take advantage of an earlier amnesty, of- fered eight years ago, by attending the Immigra- tion Department on July 29, 2010. However, he did not leave and neither the im- migration officers nor Mr. Dixon could explain why. When Magistrate Grace Donalds put the charge to Mr. Dixon – that he had stayed in Cayman without permission between Oct. 5, 2006, and the date of his arrest, Aug. 28, 2018, he re- plied, “I’m not denying …. I’m admitting ….” The magistrate ex- plained that he needed to answer “Guilty” if he ac- cepted the facts or “Not guilty” if he did not ac- cept them. He then pleaded guilty to overstaying and working without a permit during the same time frame. After hearing the back- ground of the offenses and details of a recent immigra- tion sentencing, the magis- trate imposed a term of 12 months’ imprisonment. She agreed that such a sentence was burden- some to the state, but said the court had to make an example. Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson said officers of the Immigration Enforce- ment Section saw Mr. Dixon driving in the Industrial Park area. He pulled into the parking lot of a gas sta- tion and they followed. He was spoken to, arrested, cautioned and transported to headquarters. Mr. Dixon was inter- viewed on Aug. 29 after speaking to an attorney on the phone. He admitted overstaying and working as a dry wall finisher. He said he had lost his Ja- maican passport in 2007 and did not know that his appeal against a work permit refusal was dis- missed in 2009. Mr. Dixon told the mag- istrate that he had made the effort to take advan- tage of this year’s amnesty – which ran Aug. 1 to 3 p.m. on Aug. 31. The magistrate asked how he had done this. Mr. Dixon said he purchased an airline ticket and applied for a travel document. Mr. Ferguson checked with one of the immigration officers, who said there was a ticket to leave, but it was for travel on Sept. 4. A press release from the Department of Immigration issued on July 31 stated: “DOI officials explained that persons who are in the Islands illegally and who wish to avail themselves of the opportunity should simply make an airline res- ervation and leave during the amnesty period.” The magistrate asked about sentencing tariffs and Mr. Ferguson cited a case he had dealt with be- fore another magistrate in June. In that matter, a man was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to over- staying for six years. Mr. Dixon’s charge sheet indicated that he had been residing in West Bay. Courthouse runs out of rooms for day’s work Magistrate’s chambers used as open court CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Seven courtrooms and the George Town Town Hall were not enough to accommodate all of the case work sched- uled for Monday. In the Law Courts Building, Court One was used to select juries for a murder trial and a wounding trial, both of which were scheduled to start on Tuesday, Sept. 4. Court Two was used by the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal, as it has been throughout the current session. In Court Three, Chief Magistrate Nova Hall, serving as an acting judge of the Grand Court, presided over a civil matter. Across the street, at Kirk House, Mag- istrate Angelyn Hernandez sat as Queen’s Coroner in Court Four, holding an in- quest that was expected to last three days. In Court Five, Justice Robin McMillan heard mat- ters in the Financial Services Division, while Justice Raj Parker dealt with another Financial Services Division matter in Court Six. According to lists posted on the bulletin board in the lobby of the Court House, Magistrates Grace Donalds and Adam Roberts were to have presided over their lists in Court Seven. Instead, Mag- istrate Roberts did both lists; while back in the courthouse, Magistrate Donalds used the chambers of Magistrate Valdis Foldats to deliver a verdict in a drug trial. Meanwhile, Magistrate Philippa McFarlane con- ducted Traffic Court, which had a six-page list, over in the George Town Town Hall. At this year’s official opening of the Grand Court in January, Chief Justice An- thony Smellie said the need for additional court space was more urgent than ever. He stated at the time that a push for a new court- house has been ongoing for 27 years and the current fa- cilities had been described as “shoddy, cramped and wholly inadequate.” Mr. Dixon told the magistrate that he had made the effort to take advantage of this year’s amnesty – which ran Aug. 1 to 3 p.m. on Aug. 31. At this year’s official opening of the Grand Court in January, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie said the need for more court space was more urgent than ever. The Law Courts Building in downtown George Town ran out of courtrooms in which to conduct cases on Monday.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. The National Hurricane Center in the U.S. has issued a hurricane watch for portions of the Missis- sippi/Alabama Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Gordon continues to drench Miami and South Florida. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Florence continues to churn in the Atlantic and could intensify to hurricane strength later this week. Neither storm is expected to have a major impact on the Cayman Islands. Nevertheless, it is important to remember as we head into what is traditionally the most active part of any hurricane season, no one knows with any pre- cision what the coming days and months will bring. Nature is not influenced in the slightest by human timetables or meteorological forecasts which, it must be said, are notoriously unreliable in predicting future hurricane activity. Before the hurricane season “officially” began on June 1, Maryland’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned us to expect an above-average hurricane season with five to nine hurricanes, two to four of them being “major.” Early last month, they downgraded their pre- dictions to four likely hurricanes developing in the Atlantic Ocean basin. Using their top-end prediction of nine expected hurricanes, they missed the mark by 55 percent. At their low end, five hurricanes, they were still “off” by 20 percent – a margin of error so huge that their predictions are basically worthless. As one of our statisticians here at Pinnacle Media phrased it, “They’re 100 percent positive they’ll be correct at least 45 percent of the time.” Too frequently, news organizations, including the Compass, play in to the public’s eagerness to know what will happen next. We publish headlines and articles without sufficient regard for the science, rea- soning or logic that underpins them. We quote polls, pundits, politicians, experts, as well as our media brethren (as if they have got the inside scoop) and then … Trump wins, the Brits vote for Brexit. Seemingly puzzled, we ask ourselves, “Wha’ happened?” Global warming proselytizers have been putting forth the narrative that the warming of the planet is “settled science” and, therefore, should be stipulated as “fact.” What that really means, of course, is that the subject should be off-limits to academic or scien- tific challenge. If the world’s most accomplished hurricane prog- nosticators cannot even predict the likelihood of events expected in a mere matter of weeks, what faith ought we to have in predictions that extend to the next 50 to 100 years? However, historical data are both reliable and indisputable. For example, we know (or at least the Weather Channel knows) that 93 percent of Category 3 or stronger hurricanes have occurred in the months of August, September and October. That is almost all of them. Sept. 10, one week away, is the “climatological peak” of the hurricane season, with a secondary, but smaller, peak in the middle of October that mainly applies to us in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico region. In other words, we are approaching the apex of the danger zone. At the Compass, we assume that most of our readers are smart, awake and aware. They certainly do not need us (or government) to tell them to make sure their flashlight batteries are fresh, to assemble first-aid kits or to stockpile bottled water and nonper- ishable food. So, please view this editorial not so much as a source of obvious information but as a reminder to do what you already know you need to do – pay a visit to your favorite home goods store or your preferred supermarket. Any one of them will do. Nike is currently marking the 30th anniversary of its “Just Do It” marketing campaign. Take their advice – and ours: Just Do It. Looking the hurricane season in the eye TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The hidden tax of political cronyism I do not like it when poor people receive handouts from government, though not be- cause I think they are being grifters. I mostly view them as victims who are vulner- able to getting trapped in the quicksand of govern- ment dependency. The people I despise are the rich people who manipu- late the levers of power to get undeserved goodies. These well-heeled sleazeballs gen- erally have the brains and ability to earn money hon- estly, but they decide it’s more lucrative to steal money from ordinary people, using gov- ernment as the middleman. That is the moral argu- ment for separation of busi- ness and state. But there’s also an economic argument to be made against govern- ment cronyism. There’s a very interesting new study from the World Bank that estimates the im- pact of government favoritism in Ukraine. Here’s how the au- thors define the problem. “Rent seeking is the ma- nipulation of public insti- tutions to obtain … income … without the creation of new wealth …. Rent seeking is sometimes legal …. In Ukraine, rent seeking in- cludes the award of public re- sources to companies through tax exemptions, direct sub- sidies and procurement con- tracts to connected compa- nies that cannot be justified in terms of the economic ben- efits to society as a whole. The rent seeking activities provide a basis for the existence of so-called “crony capitalism” …. Crony capitalism allows politically connected busi- nesses to enjoy benefits that other companies cannot ac- cess. It allows politically con- nected businesses to create barriers to entry in those sec- tors where they operate. As a result, crony capitalism allo- cates resources inefficiently, restricts competition, in- creases economic costs and limits economic opportunity …. This paper estimates the economic cost of crony capi- talism in Ukraine.” They start with the chal- lenge of trying to mea- sure cronyism. “If we are to assess the impact of crony capitalism in Ukraine, we must first de- fine political connection and distinguish politically con- nected firms from non-con- nected firms …. We use two approaches to identify polit- ically connected firms. The first approach is based on publicly available informa- tion on the ownership and control of businesses by po- litically exposed persons …. A PEP is a person who has been entrusted with prominent public functions, including senior politicians and party officials, senior government, judicial or military officials, and senior executives of state- owned corporations …. The second approach is … to in- clude companies that are not formally controlled by PEPs, but enjoy a political connec- tion through an oligarch or a business group they belong to …. Between half a percent and 2 percent of the total number of firms in Ukraine are politi- cally connected. However, po- litically connected firms con- trolled over 20 percent of the total turnover of all Ukrai- nian companies.” Here are some of their em- pirical results. “The economic perfor- mance of politically con- nected firms in Ukraine is significantly different from that of their non-connected peers …. Politically-connected firms are larger than their non-connected peers …. Po- litically-connected firms pay a lower effective tax rate …. Politically-connected firms are less productive. Politi- cally-connected firms have a negative Total Factor Produc- tivity (TFP) gap compared to non-connected firms …. This indicates that there could be a potentially large pay-off from policies that promote compe- tition …. Politically-connected firms grow slower than non- connected firms …. Such firms tend to have better ac- cess to rents and less incen- tives to compete …. The po- litically connected firms reap the benefits from preferential treatment when interacting with the state and limiting market competition.” The bottom line is that cronyism promotes and pro- tects inefficiency. And when an economy is less productive, that results in lower incomes and diminished living stan- dards. Sadly, this is not just a problem in developing and transition nations. Cronyism exists wherever governments have a lot of power, and that includes the United States. The federal government has myriad policies that tilt the playing field in favor of connected companies. The purpose of policies such as ethanol handouts, the Export- Import Bank, protectionism, tax favoritism, bailouts, sub- sidies, and green energy is to provide unearned wealth to the friends of politicians. But cronyism is not just enabled by bad policies from Washington. State govern- ments also are guilty of fa- voritism, even when the feds aren’t involved. As I’ve previ- ously argued, the pro-growth way for governments to com- pete is having low tax rates for everyone. P.S. Elizabeth Warren wants to turn all big compa- nies into cronyist entities. P.P.S. American tax- payers are subsidizing cro- nyism in Ukraine. Daniel J. Mitchell, chairman of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, is on the Editorial Board of the Cayman Financial Review. DANIEL J. MITCHELL The bottom line is that cronyism promotes and protects inefficiency. And when an economy is less productive, that results in lower incomes and diminished living standards. 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 SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 Inquest begins for woman killed in single-car accident ‘We were not having any fights,’ victim’s boyfriend says CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Four men and three women began hearing ev- idence on Monday about the death of Rowena Loveta Scott, 25, which occurred on March 11, 2015, when the Kia SUV she was driving hit a stone wall on Shamrock Road in Spotts. The inquest was con- ducted by Queen’s Coroner Angelyn Hernandez, who called three expert witnesses and then the passenger in the vehicle at the time of the accident. Government pathologist Dr. Shravana Jyoti explained that death was caused by blunt force trauma – Ms. Scott’s chest coming into con- tact with the steering wheel. Accident reconstructionists Colin Redden and Vincent Walters did not contradict each other on details of the accident. The vehicle, a 2014 model, was in good condi- tion, having been serviced the month before. The accident occurred just before 2:30 p.m. on a road that was in good condi- tion. The speed limit was 40 mph and the car was trav- eling at 40 mph. It suddenly veered left, hit the sidewalk and continued up the curb into the wall. The vehicle was an automatic shift; the shift lever “was put in ‘Park’ mil- liseconds prior to impact,” Mr. Redden said. Neither Ms. Scott nor her passenger was wearing a seat belt, Mr. Redden said, adding, “In my professional opinion, if the driver had been seat belted, she would have survived.” Mr. Walters said there were three general rea- sons why a vehicle veers off course: an uneven road surface, unequal tire pres- sure, or rapid movement of steering. In this case, he said, the road surface was not con- sidered uneven and there was no evidence that the left front tire had less air than the other tires. The likely option was that “the driver lost focus during a moment of distraction,” then panicked when the left front tire brushed the curb and she overcorrected. The passenger in Ms. Scott’s car was Joven Fuentes, now 28. He gave his statement to police after the accident and the coroner read it to the jury. Mr. Fuentes described Ms. Scott as his girlfriend and mother of his two children. He said they began dating in 2009 and their relationship grew. “We had our share of ups and downs,” he said. He explained that Ms. Scott had surgery earlier in the month and was not sup- posed to drive her car. She stayed with him and his mother and he drove Ms. Scott where she needed to go. On the day of the acci- dent, she wanted to drive and see how fit she was to do so. Mr. Fuentes said she drove with her right hand on the steering wheel and her left hand under her breast, which was where she had the sur- gery. They went to town and did some shopping. They were heading back to Sa- vannah and she told him to look for her phone because she wanted to call her mother. He said she looked down and he looked up and then they had hit the wall. “I want to make it clear,” he said, “We were not having any fights and nothing was happening in the car. “ He added, “If I was driving she would be alive today. Ev- eryone knows how much we loved each other.” He noted that he had given police free access to his own medical re- cords from the collision. Mr. Fuentes put his hand to his eyes and the coroner gave him time to sign his statement. “Our condolences,” the jury foreman told him. The inquest was sched- uled to last three days. CUC BEGINS REPLACING CAYMAN’S STREET LIGHTS A push to modernize Cayman’s existing street lights has begun. Caribbean Utilities Com- pany and the National Roads Authority have started an ini- tiative to replace all of its ex- isting street lights with light emitting diodes, known as LEDs. More than 2,000 LED lights have been installed in the first phase, and addi- tional 5,000 will be installed at some point over the next five years, according to a CUC press release. The LEDs save an estimated 26 percent in street lighting costs that are billed to cus- tomers, the company stated. The new fixtures are expected to contribute to an overall re- duction in energy use of ap- proximately 3.78 gigawatt hours per year, which trans- lates to 195,000 fewer imperial gallons of diesel fuel burnt. The new lights will help bring about a massive cut of 5.2 million pounds in excess CO² emissions. “CUC has worked closely with the Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg) and the National Roads Authority (NRA) to make this project a re- ality,” said David Watler, CUC’s vice president of operations, in a press release. “The project is under way and customers can now see the difference in lighting along our roads. “There are many benefits to using LED lighting. These new lights are more environmen- tally friendly, reduce light pol- lution and will result in costs saving to our customers.” LED lights are brighter and consume 70 percent less energy than conventional high pres- sure sodium lights, and they also have a significantly longer life span, the company stated. CUC power line technician Chris Bodden installs an LED street light. Rowena ScottThe 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 SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, SEPT. 4 BRAC TALENT: Cayman Brac Youth Talent Extravaganza 6:30 p.m. Veterans’ and Seamen’s Centre. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 5 ASSEMBLY: The Legislative Assembly meets in Cayman Brac today through Friday at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre. The public is invited to attend. THURSDAY, SEPT. 6 BRAC LAUNCH: Celebrating 60th anniversary of Cayman’s Coat of Arms. Official launch ceremony, 6:30 p.m. District Administration Lawn. THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK: Presented by the Cayman Drama Society at Prospect Playhouse. Opens tonight and continues Sept. 7, 8, 13, 14, 15 at 7:30 p.m. Doors open 6:30 p.m. Matinees Sunday Sept. 9 and 16 at 4 p.m. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets Adults $25, Students $15. Tickets available online at www.cds.ky. FRIDAY, SEPT. 7 LIQUOR LICENCES: Liquor Licence holders of Cayman Brac & Little Cayman, including Music and Dancing Licences, are reminded that today is the deadline to submit renewal applications. The annual Liquor Licence Meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the District Administration Conference Room, 10 a.m. Licensees must submit all applications and supporting documents, including inspection approvals, to the DCI Office in Cayman Brac, or to the 2nd Floor of the District Administration Building, Cayman Brac. All licensing fees are to be paid to the Treasury Department, District Administration Building, Stake Bay. SATURDAY, SEPT. 8 WEIGHTLIFTING COMPETITION: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Arts & Recreation Centre. This will be the first weightlifting competition in Cayman and open to weightlifters of all ages, weight classes and skill levels who could represent the Cayman Islands for future Olympic competitions. SUNDAY, SEPT. 9 RUGBY 5K: 6:30-8 a.m. Camana Bay Town Centre. Help raise funds for the Cayman National Rugby 7s team and promote family wellness by participating in this 5K. Walk, run, cycle or use scooter, skateboard, rollerblades or even taking little ones on the run in their stroller. The cost is $15 for kids ages 8-12 and $20 for teens and adults. Contact Robbie.Cribb@ rawlinson-hunter.com.ky WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12 THE BOOKENDS CLUB: 6:30-7:30 p.m., Books & Books at Camana Bay. Join The Bookends Club as they review their latest pick, “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood. Come share insights and impressions in open discussion. The Bookends Club gathers on the second Wednesday of every month and new members are always welcome. SATURDAY, SEPT. 22 BRAC 5K: Lions Clubs present Brenda Tibbetts- Lund Memorial 5K Walk/ Run 6 a.m. High School to Hospital and back. $10 registration. Contact 928- 5800 for more information. SATURDAY, SEPT. 29 CLAY WORKSHOP: Visual Arts Society studio at Pedro St. James. Today and tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fee is $150 for members, $175 for non-members. Includes terra cotta clay, glazes, firing, use of tools & studio plus light lunch and beverage. Limited space. Register at workshops@ visualartcayman.com. SUNDAY, SEPT. 30 5K FOR RECOVERY: Hope Foundation sponsors this 5K walk/run to raise funds for the residential recovery program. Start at Seven Mile Public Beach. Walk, 6 a.m. Run, 6:30 a.m. Tickets $10 from Brent, 928- 9099; or Chris, 938-0095. Prizes include staycations. GENERAL INTEREST LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Wednesdays and Saturdays at Camana Bay. A produce- only market featuring local farmers. Located in Heliconia Court (the new courtyard next to the building containing Scotiabank). 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. UK SCHOLARSHIPS: The Chevening Secretariat is accepting applications for U.K. Government scholarships to study in the U.K. in 2019/2020. Applications for Chevening Scholarships are open until Nov. 6, 2018, with applications to be submitted via www.chevening.org/apply. Visit www.chevening.org/ apply/guidance for detailed information on the eligibility criteria and scholarship specifications. Contact Gill Skinner on 244-2431 or gillian.skinner@fco.gov.uk COMMERCIAL GARBAGE FEES: The Department of Environmental Health reminds all business operators/owners/strata in Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, who pay their fees by biannual installments, that garbage fees are due for the period ending June 30. In Grand Cayman, payments can be made at any post office or the DEH main office, 580 North Sound Road from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. In the Sister Islands, payments can be made at District Administration. NEW THRIFT SHOP: One Dog At A Time has launched its “New To You” Thrift Shop. Open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the summer. The shop is at Unit 26 at the warehouses on Bodden Road, which runs down the side of Kirk Home Store to the old screen print place. 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. 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. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Adult Open Studio available to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Wednesdays for adults, 9 a.m. till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10 a.m. till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 or Ceramics. $15 pp/$25 pp non- members. Includes use of studio, glazes, and ceramic tools. Clay available $30 per bag/fee for kiln usage. To register, call 546-9422 or email info@ visualartcayman.com. 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. 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www. caymancompass.com/events. The Bookends Club will review ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood at its meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 12, at Books & Books.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 parents and seven siblings. Her father, Hugh Hutchings, was appointed Commissioner of the Cayman Islands at the time. Before she settled here, Mrs. Hurlston lived in 12 dif- ferent countries. Trained as a Montessori teacher in the U.K. and later as a nurse in Canada, she worked in Ja- maica in both fields during World War II. In 1949, she accepted what was to become a life- changing invitation from Frances Bodden to spend Christmas with her in Cayman. En route in the sea- plane, she sat next to Otto Hurlston, a boyhood friend of her brother. Two weeks later, they became engaged. They eventually settled in Grand Cayman in 1954 in the old family house on South Church Street, where Ugland House is now located. The Hurlstons set up Cay- mandicraft in what is now the Eden Rock Diving Centre. The shop that they ran for 40 years carried a range of fine goods from Cayman crafts, Agfa cameras and liberty fab- rics to Seagull outboard en- gines. Otto passed away in 1986, but Mrs. Hurlston ran the shop into the 1990s. An active member of the community, she is an orig- inal member of the Pink La- dies, the Girls’ Brigade, the Red Cross, Garden Club, and National Council for Volun- tary Organisations. She is the recipient of the Queen’s Badge of Honour, received an MBE for community ser- vice, and is also one of the three Quincentennial Am- bassadors for George Town. Many remember her as the Pink Lady who delivered hot drinks to patients at the hos- pital till she was 100. Mrs. Hurlston now lives in South Sound with her daughter Mary and son-in- law Michael Bowerman. She has two grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. Submitted by Faye Lippitt Cayman’s oldest citizen turns 104 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Abraaj Holdings’ applica- tion for provisional liquida- tors. However, it was said at a Grand Court hearing in July that Abraaj’s attempts to sell assets and restruc- ture have not been as suc- cessful as hoped, which led to a renewed effort to liqui- date and wind up Abraaj. “Since March, attempts have been made to sell var- ious assets from the Abraaj Group and to restructure. On the 18th of June, when orders were made [to ap- point provisional liquida- tors of Abraaj], they were made on the basis that the company intends to make a compromise with credi- tors,” said Charles Falconer QC, an attorney for one of Abraaj’s creditors, at the July hearing. “Now, their position is that ‘we don’t know whether it’s going to be possible for a compro- mise to be made.’” At the end of the July hearing, Justice McMillan adjourned the winding-up petition to Monday, Sept. 3, and ordered the provisional liquidators to submit a re- port on the efforts to sell Abraaj’s assets and about the likelihood of reaching a compromise or arrange- ment between Abraaj and its creditors. Since then, provisional liquidators have made progress in selling some of Abraaj’s assets, including its asset-management plat- form, according to state- ments made in court on Monday. The asset-man- agement platform would reportedly give its buyer access to more than a dozen developing countries across the world where Abraaj has offices. Counsel for the liquida- tors said on Monday that Abraaj has dozens of bids for the platform, and hopes to accept one or more bids by Sept. 14. Justice Mc- Millan ordered another progress report to be sub- mitted to him two weeks before the next hearing. The Abraaj liquida- tion has been a lucrative case for Cayman’s finan- cial services providers, yielding companies such as Deloitte and Pricewater- houseCoopers millions of dollars in fees, according to statements made at the July hearing. “We have had conver- sations with the police and we intend to continue that dialogue,” said Ms. Ebanks-Petrie. “We have had a com- mitment from them to fast track amending the licenses of those people who al- ready have air gun licenses in a way that would allow those people to use those air guns effectively against green iguanas.” Conditions the DoE would like to see amended include restrictions on shooting in residential areas, in people’s yards or within 40 yards of a public road. Ms. Ebanks-Petrie said officials were also talking to police about the possi- bility of speeding up the process of granting new li- censes for cullers. “There is also a discussion that if new people wanted to get licenses, whether they would be prepared to have a licensing scheme that is re- sponsive to the time frame we are running this project in.” She said the discussions were in the early stages and the DoE hopes to meet with police leaders over the next few weeks to see what can be achieved. The DoE aims to register private companies and in- dividuals to take part in a multi-year cull that aims to remove 1.4 million green iguanas from the environ- ment by the end of next year. Though some hunters use dogs or nooses, a large number use air rifles, which are considered one of the best methods for tar- geting iguanas. Fred Burton, head of the DoE’s terrestrial resources department, said there had been enough expres- sions of interest from busi- nesses in the cull during a recent request for informa- tion process to suggest that the 1.4 million target was achievable even without the granting of new fire- arms licenses. “If we take the RFI at face value, the quota is over- subscribed,” Mr. Burton said. “There are people who say they can cull well more than 1.4 million iguanas in total. Of those, a subset are con- tingent on them being able to get new air-rifle licenses and some of them have quite long lee times because they expect that process to take a long time. “Our gut feeling is that pretty much regardless of new license fast tracking arrangements this can still work. The variations to ex- isting air rifle licenses are going to be important be- cause that really does make a difference.” The DoE is currently looking for a private com- pany to manage and run the cull. According to Ms. Ebanks-Petrie, the com- pany will be expected to “have public liability insur- ance sufficient to cover the level of risk” associated with managing a large number of cullers, many of whom will be using weapons on a daily basis. more than 15 percent of the 5,288 required to trigger a mandatory poll. Cayman’s constitution allows for a “people initi- ated referendum” on any topic of national impor- tance if a petition signed by 25 percent of the elec- torate is presented to Cab- inet. The result of that ref- erendum would be binding on government. Civil servants can sign petition Deputy Governor Franz Manderson confirmed Monday that many civil servants will be allowed to sign the petition, as per the terms of a 2012 policy on signing of petitions by public servants. The policy document indicates that civil ser- vants can sign petitions calling for a people’s ref- erendum. There are excep- tions, however, for senior civil servants that are di- rectly involved with poli- cymaking and public ser- vants directly involved with work related to the cruise berthing facility. Anyone in a key posi- tion, which includes chief and deputy chief officers and policy advisers, is re- quired to notify the public official whom his position supports, before signing. A spokesperson for Cruise Port Referendum Cayman said, “The orga- nizers are grateful to the Deputy Governor for his clarification on the matter and encourage public servants interested in signing the petition to re- view the policy to en- sure compliance.” The petition is cur- rently available at Esso “Bar Cam” in Prospect, Four Winds Esso in West Bay, and Pure Art and Cathy Church Photo Centre in George Town. Iguana cullers seek looser air gun rules Environment chief removed from cruise project committee CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cayman’s constitution allows for a “people initiated referendum” on any topic of national importance if a petition signed by 25 percent of the electorate is presented to Cabinet. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Abraaj given more time to sell assets CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Tropical Storm Gordon brings hurricane watch to Gulf Coast (AP) – Tropical Storm Gordon lashed South Florida with heavy rains and high winds on Monday, forcing holiday beachgoers to drier ground. Weather fore- casters said the storm could strengthen to near-hurricane force by the time it hits the central U.S. Gulf Coast. Gordon formed into a tropical storm near the Florida Keys early Monday as it moved west-northwest at 16 mph. The storm was ex- pected to reach coastal Mis- sissippi and Louisiana by late Tuesday and move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday. The National Hurri- cane Center in Miami said at 11 a.m. EDT that the storm was centered 60 miles west-northwest of Key Largo and 50 miles south- southeast of Marco Is- land midday Monday. Max- imum sustained winds were clocked at 45 mph. Miami Beach Police said via Twitter that the Labor Day holiday was “NOT a beach day,” with rough surf and potential rip currents. The National Weather Service said current condi- tions were “somewhat fa- vorable” for tornadoes in affected parts of South Florida on Monday. A hurricane watch was put into effect from the mouth of the Pearl River in Mississippi to the Alabama- Florida border. The Miami-based center said the storm is also ex- pected to bring “life-threat- ening” storm surge to portions of the central Gulf Coast. Separately, Tropical Storm Florence continued to hold steady over the eastern At- lantic. Forecasters say little change in strength is ex- pected in coming days and no coastal watches or warnings are in effect. – GRAPHIC: U.S. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATIONThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 8 dead in South Africa munitions blast South African authorities say at least eight people have been killed in an explosion at the Rheinmetall Denel Munition depot, near Cape Town. TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS UK leader’s holiday from Brexit battles comes to noisy end LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Theresa May’s brief summer holiday from Brexit battles came to a noisy end Monday, as she faced attack from both sides of her di- vided Conservative Party. Archrival Boris Johnson inflamed speculation that he aims to oust May by branding her plan for Brexit “a disaster.” Johnson fumed in a news- paper column that May’s proposal to retain close eco- nomic ties with the Eu- ropean Union after Brexit would leave Britain locked in the trunk of a Brussels- driven car with “no say on the destination.” Meanwhile, a more pro- EU Conservative faction ar- gued that the U.K. should keep even closer bonds with the bloc than May is pro- posing, at least temporarily. Lawmaker Damian Green, an ally of May, conceded the prime minister was in a tight spot. “The government is walking a narrow path with people chucking rocks from both sides,” he told the BBC. Johnson, who resigned as foreign secretary in July after feuding with May over Brexit, used his weekly column in the Daily Telegraph news- paper to accuse May of sur- rendering to the EU in di- vorce negotiations. Johnson said that Britain has “gone into battle with the white flag fluttering over our leading tank” and had agreed to pay a 40-billion pound ($51 billion) divorce bill in return “for two-thirds of diddly squat.” Britain is due to leave the EU in March, but negotia- tions have stalled amid divi- sions within May’s Conser- vative government over how close an economic relation- ship to seek with EU. A proposal hammered out by May’s Cabinet in July at the prime minister’s Checkers country retreat proposes keeping the U.K. aligned to EU regulations in return for free trade in goods. The plan infuriated Brexit-backers in- cluding Johnson, who quit the government in protest. Johnson claims the Chequers plan would prevent the U.K. from striking new trade deals around the world. “We will remain in the EU taxi; but this time locked in the boot (trunk), with ab- solutely no say on the desti- nation,” Johnson wrote. “We won’t have taken back control – we will have lost control.” May’s official spokesman, James Slack, dismissed John- son’s attack, saying there were “no new ideas in this ar- ticle to respond to.” “What we need at this time is serious leadership with a serious plan and that’s exactly what the country has with this prime minister and this Brexit plan,” he said. With Parliament due to return Tuesday from its summer break, Johnson and his fellow Brexit enthusiasts aren’t the only obstacle May faces as she tries to get her Brexit deal past her Conser- vative Party, Britain’s Parlia- ment and the EU. On Monday, Conservative supporters of “soft Brexit” put forward a rival proposal, ar- guing that Britain should stay in the EU’s single market for goods and services for three years after Brexit while it ne- gotiates a future free trade deal with the bloc – a plan summed up as “Norway, then Canada,” in reference to those countries’ trade relations with the EU. Conservative lawmaker Nick Boles said the idea was better than the Checkers pro- posal, which had “close to zero” chance of being ap- proved by Parliament. “What I want is a plan that’s workable,” Boles told the BBC. “We can’t get to Nir- vana in one step.” Meanwhile, pro-EU cam- paigners are pushing for a new referendum on any deal agreed between Britain and the EU. May insists that will not happen, but the idea is gaining momentum. Britain and the EU had hoped to hammer out an agreement on divorce terms and the outlines of future trade by a European Council summit in October so that it can be approved by indi- vidual EU countries before the U.K. leaves the bloc on March 29. Both sides now say that deadline may slip to No- vember or later. The Checkers plan has been received coolly by EU leaders, who warn that Britain cannot “cherry pick” aspects of membership in the bloc without the full cost and responsibilities. The EU’s chief Brexit ne- gotiator, Michel Barnier, told German newspaper Frank- furter Allgemeine Zeitung that the bloc has “a coherent market for goods, services, capital and people – our own ecosystem that has grown over decades. You cannot play with it by picking pieces.” The British govern- ment insists it’s confident of reaching an agreement with the EU, but is preparing for all outcomes, including a “no deal” Brexit. Think tank U.K. in a Changing Europe said Monday that the short-term consequences of failing to get a deal would be “severe and overwhelmingly negative.” In a report, it said a “cha- otic Brexit” would mean “the disappearance without re- placement of many of the rules underpinning the U.K.’s economic and regulatory structure” would disrupt ev- erything from agriculture to financial services to aviation. Johnson fumed that May’s proposal to retain close economic ties with the European Union after Brexit would leave Britain locked in the trunk of a Brussels-driven car with “no say on the destination.” Recriminations fly after fire roars through Brazilian museum RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Smoke rose Monday from the burned-out hulk of Brazil’s National Museum, as recrim- inations flew over who was responsible for a huge fire that destroyed at least part of Latin America’s largest ar- chive of historical artifacts and documents. A few hundred protesters gathered outside the museum gates tried several times to push into the site. They de- manded to see the damage and called on the government to rebuild. Police pushed the crowd back with pepper spray, tear gas and batons. The museum’s director said part of the collection was destroyed, but that it was not possible yet to detail the losses. The collection of 20 million items included Egyp- tian and Greco-Roman arti- facts and the oldest human skull found in the Western hemisphere. The building was once the home of the Portuguese royal family. It was not clear how the fire began Sunday eve- ning, when the museum was closed. But the flames quickly fueled criticism over Brazil’s dilapidated infrastructure and budget deficits as the nation prepares for national elections in October. “Just crying doesn’t solve anything,” Alexander Kellner, the museum’s director, told reporters at the scene. He became emotional as he de- scribed plans to salvage what was left of the collection and rebuild. “We have to act.” Kellner said the institu- tion had recently secured approval for money for a planned renovation, in- cluding an upgrade of the fire-prevention system. “Look at the irony. The money is now there, but we ran out of time,” he said. Fire department spokesman Roberto Robadey said firefighters got off to a slow start because the two fire hydrants closest to the museum did not work. In- stead, trucks had to gather water from a nearby lake. Kellner said there were fire extinguishers on the site, but it was not clear if there were sprinklers, which are problematic for mu- seums because water can damage objects. The building was still standing Monday morning, but much of it appeared to have been gutted. A few hun- dred people crowded at the gates, some in tears. On the massive site where the museum sits, the fencing was dilapidated, stonework was cracked and lawns ap- peared untended. “This fire is what Bra- zilian politicians are doing to the people,” said Rosana Hollanda, a 35-year-old high school teacher, who was crying Monday at the gates. “They’re burning our history, and they’re burning our dreams.” Roberto Leher, the rector of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, of which the museum is a part, told re- porters that the building needed an upgrade to its elec- trical and water systems and a new fire-prevention plan. “We all knew the building was in a vulnerable state,” he told reporters. Officials had been working with fire- fighters to reduce those risks, he added. “A fire of this scale, the re- ality unfortunately showed this, we needed a systematic intervention,” he said. Asked by a reporter why such disasters do not happen at cultural institutions in other countries, Kellner, the museum director, replied: “Ask yourself that. That’s a good question.” Latin America’s largest nation has struggled to emerge from its worst re- cession in decades. The state of Rio de Janeiro has been particularly hard hit in recent years thanks to a combination of falling prices for oil, one of its major revenue sources, mismanagement and mas- sive corruption. A worker collects pieces from the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday, following Sunday’s blaze that engulfed the 200-year-old museum. - PHOTO: AP In this May 25, 2017 file photo, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May arrive for a meeting at the NATO headquarters, in Brussels. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 UN court hears case over strategic Indian Ocean islands THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – Officials from the In- dian Ocean island nation of Mauritius told United Na- tions judges Monday that former colonial power Britain strong-armed its leaders half a century ago into giving up territory as a condition of independence, a claim that could have an impact on a strategically important U.S. military base. Judges at the Interna- tional Court of Justice began hearing arguments for an ad- visory opinion the U.N. Gen- eral Assembly requested on the legality of British sov- ereignty over the Chagos Is- lands. The largest island, Diego Garcia, has housed the U.S. base since the 1970s. “The process of decoloni- zation of Mauritius remains incomplete as a result of the unlawful detachment of an integral part of our ter- ritory on the eve of our in- dependence,” Mauritius De- fense Minister Anerood Jugnauth told judges. Mauritius argues that the Chagos archipelago was part of its territory since at least the 18th century and taken unlawfully by the U.K. in 1965, three years before the island gained independence. Britain insists it has sover- eignty over the archipelago, which it calls the British In- dian Ocean Territory. Jugnauth testified that during independence nego- tiations, then-British Prime Minister Harold Wilson told Mauritius’ leader at the time, Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, that “he and his colleagues could return to Mauritius ei- ther with independence or without it and that the best solution for all might be in- dependence and detach- ment (of the Chagos Islands) by agreement.” Ramgoolam under- stood Wilson’s words “to be in the nature of a threat,” Jugnauth said. British Solicitor Gen- eral Robert Buckland de- scribed the case as essen- tially a bilateral dispute about sovereignty and urged the court not to issue an ad- visory opinion. Buckland also disputed Mauritius’ claim about co- ercion, citing Ramgoolam as saying after the deal that the detachment of the Chagos islands was a “matter that was negotiated.” The U.K. sealed a deal with the U.S. in 1966 to use the territory for defense pur- poses. The United States maintains a base there for aircraft and ships and has backed Britain in the legal dispute with Mauritius. However, Jugnauth said the base should not be af- fected by his country’s claim against Britain. “Mauritius has been clear that a request for an ad- visory opinion is not in- tended to bring into ques- tion the presence of the base on Diego Garcia,” he told the U.N. judges. “Mauritius rec- ognizes its existence and has repeatedly made it clear to the United States and the ad- ministering power that it ac- cepts the future of the base.” Representatives from about 20 nations, including the U.S., and from the African Union are due to speak in the case this week. Judges are expected to take months to issue their advisory opinions on two questions: Was the process of decolonization of Mau- ritius lawfully completed in 1968 and what are the consequences under inter- national law of the U.K.’s continued administra- tion, including with re- spect to the inability to re- settle Chagos residents on the islands? Britain evicted about 2,000 people from the Chagos archipelago in the 1960s and 1970s so the U.S. mili- tary could build an air base on Diego Garcia. The is- landers were sent to the Seychelles and Mauritius, and many eventually reset- tled in the U.K. The Chagossians have fought in British courts for years to return to the islands. A small group of Chagos- sians protested outside the court Monday holding ban- ners including one that read: “Chagossian sacrifice to pro- tect the world but our reward is slow death.” Another Chagossian, Marie Liseby Elyse, recorded a video that was shown to judges. In it, she recalled being taken by boat from her home island. “We were like animals and slaves in that ship,” she said. “People were dying of sadness.” Buckland expressed Britain’s deep regret at the way the Chagossians were removed. Britain, “fully accepts the manner in which the Cha- gossians were removed from the Chagos Archipelago and the way they were treated thereafter was shameful and more,” he said. Father of slain Iowa student decries using her as ‘pawn’ BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) – The father of slain Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts in an opinion piece spoke out against using his daughter’s death in support of “views she believed were profoundly racist,” a call that comes after President Donald Trump and others seized on the sus- pected killer’s immigration status to argue for changes in U.S. immigration laws. Authorities have said the University of Iowa stu- dent was abducted while she was out for an evening run in Brooklyn, Iowa, on July 18. The man charged in her death, 24-year-old Cristhian Bahena Rivera, a Mexican farmworker who is suspected of being in the U.S. illegally. Trump and other politicians quickly noted that element of the case and called for changes to immigration law. Rob Tibbetts wrote in the opinion piece published on- line by The Des Moines Reg- ister on Saturday that while he supports debate on im- migration, some politicians and pundits went too far in using his daughter’s death to promote political agendas. He said his stepdaughter is Latina and argued that the suspected killer “is no more a reflection of the Hispanic community as white suprem- acists are of all white people.” “Do not appropriate Mol- lie’s soul in advancing views she believed were profoundly racist,” he wrote. “The act grievously extends the crime that stole Mollie from our family and is, to quote Donald Trump Jr., ‘heartless’ and ‘despicable.’” The quote comes from a Friday opinion piece by Trump Jr. that criticized the media and Democrats for not playing up the suspect’s im- migration status. “Despite what some Dem- ocrats may wish in the depths of their hearts, Mollie was murdered by an il- legal alien and her murder would never have happened if we policed our southern border properly,” the presi- dent’s son wrote. Recorded phone calls citing Mollie Tibbetts’ death in a push for white suprema- cist views began Tuesday, just days after her funeral. The robocalls cited comments Rob Tibbetts made in defense of Latinos during her funeral. The calls question whether his daughter would feel the same if she were still alive and describe Rivera as “an invader from Mexico.” Rob Tibbetts wrote in his opinion piece that his daughter was “nobody’s victim. Nor is she a pawn in others’ debate.” “She may not be able to speak for herself, but I can and will,” he went on to say. “Please leave us out of your debate. Allow us to grieve in privacy and with dignity. At long last, show some de- cency. On behalf of my family and Mollie’s memory, I’m im- ploring you to stop.” A poster for missing University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts hangs in the window of a local business on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2018, in Brooklyn, Iowa. Tibbetts was later found dead. - PHOTO: AP Protesters hold placards outside the World Court in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, as judges listened to arguments in a case focused on whether Britain illegally maintains sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. - PHOTO: AP Mauritius argues that the Chagos archipelago was part of its territory since at least the 18th century and taken unlawfully by the U.K. in 1965, three years before the island gained independence. TRUMP ESCALATES ATTACKS ON HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL WASHINGTON (AP) — Pres- ident Donald Trump es- calated his attacks on Attorney General Jeff Ses- sions on Monday, sug- gesting the Department of Justice put Republicans in midterm jeopardy with re- cent indictments of two GOP congressmen. In his latest broadside against the Justice Depart- ment’s traditional indepen- dence, Trump tweeted that “Obama era investigations, of two very popular Repub- lican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Ses- sions Justice Department.” He added: “Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff......” The first two Republi- cans to endorse Trump in the Republican presiden- tial primaries were indicted on separate charges last month: Rep. Duncan Hunter of California on charges that included spending cam- paign funds for personal ex- penses and Rep. Chris Col- lins of New York on insider trading. Both have pro- claimed their innocence. Another blow in Trump’s long-running feud with Ses- sions, the president’s com- plaint fits with his pattern of viewing the Department of Justice less as a law enforcement agency and more as a department that is supposed to do his po- litical bidding. Trump, who did not ad- dress the specifics of the charges, just the polit- ical impact, has previously pressed Sessions to investi- gate his perceived enemies and has accused Sessions of failing to take control of the Justice Department. Trump has also repeatedly complained that Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation. Some of the issues Trump has raised have ei- ther already been examined or are being investigated. The tension between Trump and Sessions boiled over recently with Sessions punching back, saying that he and his department “will not be improperly influ- enced by political consid- erations.” Still, Sessions has made clear to associates that he has no intention of leaving his job volun- tarily despite Trump’s con- stant criticism.Next >