ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2018 High of 89 Low of 78 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 A ‘GOOD NEWS’ DAY IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS LOCAL | PAGE 5 POLICE FOOTBALL CLUB FUNDRAISES FOR OVERSEAS TOURNAMENT Rising to the occasion every day, year after year PROUD TO BE THE BANKER’S BANK OF THE YEAR IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS. www.butterfieldgroup.com Butterfield Bank (Cayman) Limited is licensed to conduct banking and investment business by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Address: 12 Albert Panton Street, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. 187202_HR-Ad-Strip-BOTY2017-6colPage 1 12/15/17 10:16:40 AM HUNDREDS SIGN UP FOR GREEN IGUANA CULL JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Almost 350 people registered to take part in Grand Cayman’s islandwide green iguana cull. Collectively, the group has signed up to kill more than a million iguanas over the next 12 months. Fred Burton, the Department of Environment’s terrestrial resources manager, said he was delighted with the response. He said the cullers had signed up to kill- quotas that exceeded the number of iguanas believed to be in Grand Cayman. He said, “We have approved higher quotas than the number of green iguanas that are actually out there, with the expectation that it will settle down to reality as the cull gets under way.” He said it was anticipated that not all cullers would meet their quotas and that there would be some that drop out. “We accepted the quotas requested and we didn’t restrict registration,” Mr. Burton said. “What we will have to do now is see how it goes. “If we find we are culling at a higher rate than we have budgeted for, we may have to make adjustments at that stage.” Cullers will be paid $4.50 a head for iguanas, rising to $5 a head if they meet monthly and annual quota targets. Mr. Burton said the cull management com- pany would begin accepting iguanas at the George Town landfill from next Monday, Oct. 29. No iguanas will be accepted before that point and iguanas will only be accepted from people with a valid DoE-issued cull card. Mr. Burton acknowledged that many of the cullers may have started already and that the landfill could be inundated on the first morning of the cull. He urged cullers not to arrive en-masse at 8 a.m. Monday. CAYMAN TO UPDATE ITS PHARMACY LAW The Ministry of Health is updating Cayman’s nearly 40-year-old Pharmacy Law. The existing legislation does not prevent people from using different doctors to obtain multiple prescrip- tions for the same drug. Health Min- istry Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn told the Compass that her ministry “is hoping to have a draft law submitted to Caucus before the end of the year.” For more on this story, see page 3. Trinidad bank extends offer for Cayman National stock Second shareholder meeting required KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Republic Bank Trinidad and Tobago (Barbados) Ltd.’s offer to purchase shares of the local bank Cayman National Corporation Ltd. was sched- uled to expire on Monday, but has now been extended to Nov. 12, according to an announce- ment on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange. The announcement explains that the offer has been extended in order to accommodate a Nov. 7 Cayman National shareholders meeting, where a vote will be held to amend the bank’s arti- cles of association to allow for a single entity to own more than 10 percent of the institution. A similar vote was held on Oct. 9 to remove a provision that prevents more than 10 per- cent of Cayman National shares being issued to any entity. That amendment passed with roughly 80 percent of the voting shares in favor of removing the restriction. However, there is another re- striction in the articles stating that the bank’s directors shall decline to register any transfer of shares that result in an entity owning more than 10 percent of Cayman climbers embark on trek to the Himalayas SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Eight Cayman residents are journeying from sea level to the roof of the world. The group, which calls themselves the Cayman Turtle Trekkers, will be hiking and climbing for nearly a month around the Himalayas and attempting to summit the aptly named Island Peak. Barry Yetton, who runs the group’s blog at www.caymanturtletrekkers.com, said last Tuesday that he was on the way to the air- port and ready to embark on one of the great adventures of his life. “This will be a first time for all but one of us,” he said of trekking to the Hi- malayas. “One of us has been there but it was decades ago, and none of us have been climbing there before.” Mr. Yetton will be traveling with Vico Testori, Michael Testori, Vidyadhara Shetty, Keith Griffin, Marcos Montana, Henry Smith and Craig Burke. They arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Thursday and have begun acclimatizing for a journey that will take them from 4,500 feet all the way to 20,305 feet. The group took six months to plan and PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » The trekkers make their way over a suspension bridge on the way to Namche Bazaar. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY OCTOBER 23, 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) THE HATE U GIVE (PG13) 12:35 I 3:35 I 6:40 I 9:45 VENOM (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 4:25 I 7:10 I 10:00 NIGHT SCHOOL (PG13) 2:15 I 4:50 I 7:25 I 10:00 GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN (PG) 4:45 I 7:00 FIRST MAN (PG13) 1:20 I 3:25 VIP I 9:45 A STAR IS BORN (R) 12:45 I 3:50 I 7:00 I 9:40 VIP BLOCKBUSTER RE-RELEASE: AVENGERS INFINITY WAR (PG13) 1:30 I 9:15 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: DRUNKEN MASTER (PG13) 7:00 VIP New head of Jamaican consulate named Consulate covers Cayman also Businessman R. Oliver Mair is the new consul gen- eral for Jamaica in its Miami, Florida office. The office han- dles consular affairs for 13 southern U.S. states, as well as the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas. Mr. Mair began his new job two weeks ago. He has 20 years of experience in Jamai- ca’s private sector working in travel/tourism, entertain- ment, agro-processing and real estate. He is knowledge- able in sales and marketing, strategic planning, project management, public rela- tions and government corpo- rate relations, according to a press release from the Ja- maican Ministry of Foreign and Foreign Trade. He took over from Franz Hall, who is now acting di- rector of protocol in the Min- istry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Kingston. Mr. Mair began his career as an operations officer at Ja- maica Broilers. After a year, he joined the staff of Air Jamaica where, over the course of 11 years, he worked his way from flight attendant to regional marketing manager. He also founded Jamaica Finest Pro- duce and worked as a realtor for Coldwell Banker Limited. Man charged with indecent exposure on Seven Mile Beach CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man arrested for inde- cent exposure was granted bail after appearing in Sum- mary Court before Magis- trate Angelyn Hernandez on Monday afternoon. Ricky Marwick Rankin, 48, was arrested around 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, after officers on patrol at Seven Mile Public Beach were in- formed by a member of the public that a man had been seen indecently exposing himself nearby. A press statement from police said the officers im- mediately approached the male and, upon speaking to him, observed that he had a knife on his person. They attempted to arrest the man, who fled. They pur- sued on foot. He was appre- hended nearby and taken into custody. Defense attorney John Furniss confirmed on Monday that Mr. Rankin had spent the weekend in custody. Mr. Rankin was charged with indecent exposure, as well as being in possession of a prohibited weapon – a flick knife – and resisting arrest. He applied for bail and Crown counsel Kerri-Ann Gil- lies objected. She pointed out that Mr. Rankin had previous convictions for not attending court when required to do so. The magistrate asked if he had any conviction for of- fenses similar to the one that had brought him to court that day. Ms. Gillis checked the record and agreed that he did not. Mr. Furniss said his client would agree to any bail conditions. The magistrate ordered him to be fitted with an elec- tronic monitor, reside at a specified address in West Bay, observe a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and stay away from liquor-licensed establishments. The magistrate set all matters for mention again on Tuesday, Nov. 13. BEACH CLEARING AT DISCOVERY POINT Heavy equipment rolled on to Seven Mile Beach this weekend to clear sar- gassum seaweed from the beach in front of a condo development. The presence of the machinery, and what ap- peared to be a large hole on the beach, sparked some concern from neigh- bors, as well as complaints to the Department of En- vironment and the plan- ning department. But the DoE says the work was approved in ad- vance and was monitored by its staff. Deputy Director Tim Austin said, “The Discovery Point property was issued an approval letter by DoE to use equipment to clear up algae from its beach. The property is also using this opportunity to re-grade the beach for the safety of its guests and other visitors at the site following the pas- sage of Hurricane Michael. “No sand is being taken off the property and nei- ther is any being brought on to the property.” He said conservation of- ficers had made checks at the property over the past few days and noted the loads being hauled away were almost entirely made up of sargassum and algae. Oliver Mair Machinery clears the beach in front of Discovery Point. Coat of arms featured in new stamp The Cayman Islands coat of arms, which is 60 years old this year, is featured on a new $2 stamp. The Postal Service issued the stamp on Friday, Oct. 19 as part of the ongoing year- long anniversary celebrations. The single stamp issue de- picts the coat of arms against a blue background and men- tions the 60th anniversary. The stamp is available in a souvenir sheet format. The background for the souvenir sheet displays the national flag along with the Celebrate Cayman branding. The stamps went on sale at all post offices on all three islands on Friday. “Our Coat of Arms has an interesting history which the Cayman Islands is marking with the ongoing ‘Celebrate Cayman’ initiative. So we are delighted to be taking part in the 60th anniversary celebra- tions with this latest stamp issue,” said Postmaster Gen- eral Sheena Glasgow in a press release. The new stamp and its cover mark the 60th anniversary of the Cayman Islands coat of arms. STOLEN CAR INVOLVED IN CRASH Occupants flee in another car Police are seeking the oc- cupants of a stolen car who left the scene of an accident in which the vehicle was in- volved Sunday. The two-vehicle colli- sion occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. on the Linford Pierson Highway. No injuries were reported. Police said a Honda Ac- cord and a Nissan Pathfinder collided on the highway. Fol- lowing the collision, the oc- cupants of the Honda Accord left the scene in another ve- hicle described as a blue, late-model Honda Civic. Officers spoke to the owner of the Accord, who informed them that the car had been stolen earlier that evening. Police are appealing for witnesses of the collision or anyone who may know about the whereabouts of the ve- hicle that left the scene to contact them on 949-4222. Anonymous tips can be provided to the RCIPS via the Confidential Tip Line at 949-7777 or online at www.rcips.ky/submit-a-tip. Mr. Rankin was charged with indecent exposure, as well as being in possession of a prohibited weapon – a flick knife – and resisting arrest.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2018 Government working to update legislation KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Ministry of Health is still working on legislation to replace a nearly 40-year-old Pharmacy Law that, among other things, does not pre- vent people from using dif- ferent doctors to obtain multiple prescriptions for the same drug. Health Ministry Chief Of- ficer Jennifer Ahearn told the Compass that her ministry “is hoping to have a draft law submitted to Caucus be- fore the end of the year.” Gov- ernment has made attempts to update the law since the early 1990s, to no avail. “In the meantime, there are likely risks to patients,” states a 2017 performance audit on Cayman’s healthcare system, criticizing the phar- macy legislation as being “se- riously out of date.” The audit report did not identify prescription drug abuse as a major problem here, and the available sta- tistics do not suggest that, either. However, prescrip- tion drug abuse is a growing problem in the United States and elsewhere, to the point of being deemed a “crisis” and an “epidemic” by multiple U.S. federal government agencies. According to the 2017 audit report, there are no legislated regulations for pharmacies in Cayman. The industry has a standards-of- practice code developed by the Pharmacy Council that establishes boundaries and expectations for pharma- cies, but it is voluntary to follow the code. As a result of the loose leg- islation, “there are no shared information systems to en- sure that patients are not re- ceiving multiple prescriptions from different physicians and obtaining drugs from multiple pharmacies,” according to the audit report, which notes that all Cayman physicians can prescribe drugs. Additionally, “we were not able to identify any other policies or guidelines in place to help ensure appropriate quality and safety protocols for prescribing pharmaceuti- cals,” states the report. In one instance, the Au- ditor General’s Office said it found a prescribed drug is- sued with no information in English on the label. The audit report also identifies difficulties gov- ernment has in keeping track how many drugs are imported here. The eight-page Phar- macy Law 1979 gives the chief health officer the right to inspect pharmacies’ re- cords and places of storage, and the audit report states that the chief pharmacist is responsible for monitoring statistics on expected inven- tory and importation require- ments. However, this moni- toring does not account for the drugs that are brought in by people who travel off- island for medical purposes and likely bring back medica- tions, the report states. “There are currently no re- quirements for medications to be declared at customs,” the report states. Efforts have been made since at least the early 1990s to update the Pharmacy Law, but none have resulted in new legislation. In 1991, a new law was drafted after a review was conducted on the pharmacy sector. That law was passed by legislators, but was never enacted and is not in force. In 2011, a Pharmacy Council subcommittee sub- mitted suggestions for revi- sions to the law, but those suggestions were not incor- porated into the legislation, according to the audit report. Last year, Health Min- ister Dwayne Seymour said in the Legislative Assembly that efforts were being made to update the legislation to “provide for prescription drugs monitoring.” This is “a matter of par- ticular importance, as there is evidence that suggests the misuse and abuse of pre- scribed drugs,” Minister Seymour said in his No- vember 2017 speech. When asked about the need for updates earlier this year, Ms. Ahearn told the Compass that the pharmaceu- tical industry has drastically changed since the current law was implemented in 1979. “A number of different things in terms of putting in place clearer guidelines and controls around the importa- tion of pharmaceuticals and medicinal products,” she said. “It’s looking at whether there are some things that should be restricted to be sold only in a pharmacy as opposed to, for example, a gas station. “We’re incredibly fortu- nate we have a group of very professional pharmacists who have practiced very con- scientiously within a self- regulating code of conduct. The pharmacies are run very well. But it’s really about up- dating and putting in place some clearer protections and clearer guidelines, and just responding to how things have changed.” In Cayman, the available statistics on prescription drug abuse are limited, but do not suggest that the issue is an overwhelming problem here. According to the National Drug Council’s 2016 survey on student drug use, 2.7 per- cent of students reported using prescription drugs for non-medical reasons during their lifetime, while 1 percent of them said they are cur- rently using such drugs. The survey noted that while the percentage of stu- dents abusing prescrip- tion drugs is small, the drug council has seen a notable in- crease in the number of users over the years. According to the U.S. Na- tional Institute on Drug Abuse, the abuse of pre- scription pain relief in the United States caused 19,354 deaths by overdose in 2016, which is more than double the number of such deaths in 2002. Overall, opioid abuse – including non-prescrip- tion drugs such as heroin – caused 72,306 deaths by overdose in 2017, a roughly 3.1-fold increase from 2002, the institute’s statistics show. Cayman patients can get multiple prescriptions for same drug Health Ministry Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn told the Compass that her ministry “is hoping to have a draft law submitted to Caucus before the end of the year.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” When editors evaluate stories for publication in the Cayman Compass, they do not take into account whether a story is “good news” or “bad news.” It’s either news – or it’s not. That being said, as members of the Cayman Islands community, we do think it is worthy to note that the front page of Monday’s Cayman Compass featured an all-too-rare alignment of four different articles, on four different topics, all falling squarely into the category of “good news” – positive developments in the country’s government, economy, schools and nonprofit sector. Monday’s front page was not a deliberate attempt to inspire a rose-hued perspective about current events. It was, fortunately and refreshingly, an accurate reflection of the day’s news in these islands. Leading the paper was the announcement that the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office has named veteran diplomat Martyn Roper as interim governor, putting an end to the uncertainty caused by the months-long vacancy in Cayman’s top position in the public service. In an email to the Compass, Mr. Roper wrote, “I am delighted to be appointed to the role by Her Majesty The Queen. It is a great privilege and honour. I take great pride in being part of the Cayman Islands and having an opportunity to serve its people.” We are pleased to welcome him when he arrives next Monday. The appointment of Mr. Roper has the added benefit of allowing Acting Governor Franz Manderson, who has again done our islands a great service by stepping into the role, to focus on his own duties as Deputy Governor, and letting Cayman’s government administration return to its normal flow of business. The second good news story concerned Cayman’s economy, specifically that the country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by even more than expected – 4 percent in the first quarter of this year – thanks to booming tourism, construction and a growing number of new company registrations. (For reference, economic growth during the same period the year before was just under 3 percent.) Officials say that in the first three months of 2018, tourist arrivals grew by more than 20 percent, company registrations increased a whopping 41.7 percent and stock exchange listings reached the highest level since 2009. They expect robust growth in GDP to continue. That is good news for all of us. The third good news story concerned the most important topic of education. Inspectors determined that John Gray High School has made significant per- formance gains since its 2014-15 inspection, upgrading their assessment of the school from “failing” to “satis- factory.” Given the past and present challenges facing our public education system, and John Gray specifi- cally, this is one “report card” that is worthy of recog- nition and applause. The work there is, of course, just beginning, but as John Gray Principal Jon Clark said, the news is “a good step in our move to become a world-class school.” Finally, last weekend, the National Council of Vol- untary Organisations’ radio-telethon – in its 39th year – raised more than $117,000, thanks to support from generous donors and talented local performing artists. It is always heartening to see Cayman’s phil- anthropic community in action, and last weekend was no different. The work of Cayman’s nonprofit sector contributes immeasurably to the health, safety and vitality of our islands. A ‘good news’ day in the Cayman Islands TUESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The real reason red ink keeps rising The United States’ Con- gressional Budget Office just released a Monthly Budget Review showing a $782 billion deficit for the 2018 fiscal year. My recommendation is to mostly ignore data on red ink. Yes, it is possible that a country can get in trouble because of deficits and debt, but it’s far more important to look at what’s happening with govern- ment spending. This is for two reasons. First, spending is the most accurate way of mea- suring the fiscal burden of government. Regardless of whether it is financed by taxes or borrowing, spending is what requires resources to be diverted from the economy’s pro- ductive sector. Second, the best way of predicting red ink is to look at what’s happening to spending. If the burden of government spending is growing faster than the private sector, that is a very worrisome trend. In the long run, it leads to fiscal crisis. With this in mind, I dug into the CBO numbers to see what’s really happening. Lo and behold, we find that the deficit was falling rapidly when there was a de facto spending freeze be- tween 2009 and 2014. But ever since 2014, spending has been growing more than twice the rate of inflation and the deficit is climbing. Does tax revenue also play a role? Of course. I’ve already explained that President Donald Trump’s plan has a front- loaded tax cut, so that has an effect on short-run defi- cits. But I also noted that the tax cut gradually dis- appears because the rev- enue-raising provisions from last year’s legislation become more important in the long run. In other words, Amer- ica’s long-run fiscal chal- lenge is entirely the re- sult of a rising burden of government spending. And that is very clear in the Congressional Budget Office numbers. The bottom line is that America has a spending problem, not a red ink problem. Deficits and debt are symptoms, but the un- derlying disease is that the federal government is too big and that spending is growing too fast. The solution is to follow my Golden Rule with a spending cap. P.S. To help them under- stand this point, Republicans need shock therapy. Daniel J. Mitchell, chairman of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, is on the Editorial Board of the Cayman Financial Review. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Managing downtown traffic flows I congratulate Lee Maragh on his thoughtful discussion on the Hon. Os- bourne Bodden’s sugges- tions for reducing con- gestion (“Seek solutions to traffic congestion,” Oct. 18). This is a debate which all Caymanians and the working population should be contributing to. In principle, I do not op- pose the building of the new cruise terminal, but having worked in George Town for nearly 40 years, I can say that the influx of a large number more cruise passengers to George Town would make the problem of getting to and leaving from work there a complete nightmare. I have two suggestions, one immediate, the other more long term: The first is that no cruise ship passengers should be landed before 9 a.m. and disembarked after 4 p.m. (Cayman time unless we adopt Daylight Saving Time). To state the obvious, this will enable people who work in George Town to get to and from work without having to negotiate around cruise passengers who think we drive on the “wrong” side of the road. The second is that we anticipate some of the in- creasing passenger re- ceipts to build multi-story car parks on roads leading off the south end of West Bay Road, the east end of Shedden Road and the west end of South Church Street or Walkers Road or wher- ever property is still af- fordable. These would be free for parking between 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., but to discourage use for over- night parking that would cost the same as long-term parking at the airport. There would be free buses circu- lating George Town Central from the car parks at fre- quent or less intervals, de- pending on demand. There is time to imple- ment these and the accept- able suggestions of the Hon. Osbourne and Mr. Maragh and, hopefully, many others. But if this potential problem is not addressed as a pri- ority, it could well result in more and more busi- nesses moving to Camana Bay and our historic cap- ital becoming a ghost town for anything more than res- taurants, jewelry stores and T-shirt shops. In my view, that is unacceptable. Ian Boxall DANIEL J. MITCHELL DANIEL J. MITCHELL If the burden of government spending is growing faster than the private sector, that is a very worrisome trend. In the long run, it leads to fiscal crisis.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2018 Police football club fundraises for overseas tournament SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s law enforce- ment community is seeking some support from the public at large. Inspector Winsome Pren- dergast of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has started the Islanders Football Club, a not-for-profit organi- zation designed to fund in- ternational trips for law en- forcement officers who play football together against like- minded compatriots from around the world. The officers banded to- gether to take a trip to the Netherlands in 2016, and ear- lier this year, they went to Spain to play in the Mallorca Football Tournament for Law Enforcement Officers. The Cayman delegation plans on attending another tournament in Mallorca next May, and it’s beginning a se- ries of fundraising events this Friday, Oct. 26, with a fish fry and bingo night at the George Town Cricket Oval. “We’ll be doing an all-day fish fry. And then in the night, about 8 [p.m.], we’ll have a fundraising bingo,” said In- spector Prendergast about the all-day event. “We’ll have prizes that we’ll raffle and do- nate. We want it to be fun. It’s about getting together and ca- maraderie and having fun.” The Islanders Football Club has about 35 mem- bers, and Inspector Prend- ergast said that the trip will probably have upward of 20 people on it. Next year, half of the delegation plans on vis- iting various European cities before meeting the other half in Mallorca for the beginning of the tournament on May 1. The first group trip, in 2016, taught Inspector Pren- dergast something. It was not just members of the RCIPS who wanted to par- ticipate, but people from all branches of the law enforce- ment community. “The greatest part about this is the networking,” said Inspector Prendergast. “You have over 200 teams from over 49 different countries. Law enforcement, prisons, fire, po- lice, judiciary. It’s phenomenal. “Look at the benefits. … Now, we have a contact just about everywhere in the world. We form friend- ships and we have WhatsApp groups that we communicate with from time to time.” And it does not only im- prove Cayman’s communi- cations with other law en- forcement agencies around the world. It helps improve the camaraderie of the ex- isting law enforcement per- sonnel in Cayman. “It definitely brings officers together,” said Inspector Pren- dergast. “I try to have a social before we go because you’ll have people from different law enforcement agencies. We don’t really work together. We don’t really know each other. Then you find out – espe- cially after this last trip – that we have this close bond. It’s easier working together when you know each other and you know what people are like.” Friday’s fish fry on will begin about 11 a.m., and In- spector Prendergast said there will be limited de- livery service if people call in and live relatively close to the Cricket Oval. The football club also plans a fundraiser at Pirates Week and then per- haps another event or two in January and March. “I know these things don’t raise a lot of money, but it’s for us to work together,” said Inspector Prendergast. “When we do a fundraiser, we’re cooking and we’re selling to- gether. It makes you form that bond. Later on as we grow, we’ll do bigger things. Some- times it’s just smaller things; a little bit here and there.” People interested in donating to the Islanders Football Club can visit Friday’s fundraiser. Interested parties can call in to 916-5241, 326-3306 or 938-3306 for more information. This delegation of Cayman law enforcement officers traveled to Mallorca, Spain, in May to participate in a football tournament. Singers donate to cancer charities Steve Higgins & Friends, who performed at a concert in Cayman in September, pre- sented checks from money raised at the event to the Cayman Islands Cancer So- ciety and the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens last week. Sopranos Dahlia Wynter and April Marr joined tenor Mr. Higgins at their “Em- bracing Romance” concert, which was attended by a ca- pacity crowd on Sunday, Sept. 2, at the ballroom of the Mar- riott Beach Resort. This is the third consecu- tive year the Jamaica-based Steve Higgins & Friends have played in Cayman and do- nated proceedings to local charities or organizations. In May 2017, they presented checks to the Cayman Na- tional Choir & Orchestra and to Cancer Society after performing “An Evening of Musical Excellence” at the Arc, Camana Bay. In May 2016 they played at the Har- quail Theatre. Mr. Higgins and soprano Ms. Marr made the check presentations this year at both the offices of the Cancer Society and the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens. They do- nated $3,094 to the Cancer Society and $4,000 to Lions Club of Tropical Gardens. The two singers flew to Cayman on Thursday, en route to Cayman Brac, where they performed for the 60th Celebration of Cayman Is- land’s coat of arms. The Cancer Society’s Vic- toria Gray thanked Mr. Hig- gins and Ms. Marr for the concert and the financial contribution. The Cancer So- ciety will use the funds to purchase vaccines and other critical supplies, she said. At the offices of the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens, the singers were met by mem- bers of the club, led by ex- ecutive members, President Jasmine Minott, Secretary Norma McField and Trea- surer Elva Smith. Ms. Minott said that the proceeds of the concert will go toward the club’s health and wellness initiatives, such as testing and screenings. About the show Last month’s concert fea- tured romantic songs from several genres delivered by Ms. Wynter, Ms. Marr and Mr. Steve Higgins. Songs were divided into three main categories and were deliv- ered in the form of solos, duets, and trios. The show included Amaya Lewis, a cre- ative dancer and choreog- rapher who was a finalist in the Miss Jamaica World Beauty Pageant, which had been held the night before in Kingston, Jamaica. PRESCHOOLS FAIL TO MEET TEACHING STANDARDS MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com The first two Cayman preschools inspected under a new assessment frame- work have been found lacking in providing enough education for the children in their care. Both Bright Start Early Learning Centre and Tiffany’s Pre-School were judged to be weak in meeting the standards of the new framework. Both schools were found to provide a safe and nur- turing environment, ac- cording to the reports, which were released last week. There were adequate play opportunities for children, and parent surveys showed a high degree of satisfaction. But when it came to meeting the requirements of the Cayman Islands Early Years Curriculum, neither school was found to be performing well. “Teaching was judged weak because planning and assessment processes were weak, as were the majority of lessons observed,” the re- port on Bright Start said. At Tiffany’s, inspector’s found “staff did not chal- lenge children sufficiently. Tasks were often too easy and not matched to chil- dren’s individual needs. Children did not have enough opportunities to satisfy their curiosity.” Rochelle Dilbert, of Bright Start, did not respond to a message left at the school. Karen Ebanks, owner of Tiffany’s Pre-School, said she has been running her business for 20 years and has never had a problem. She said there has not been adequate time to respond to the new rules, which were approved this summer. “They’re introducing something new,” Ms. Ebanks said. “We weren’t given the time frame to put that into effect.” She and her staff “weren’t too happy” with some of the findings, she said. But they are planning changes. Inspectors will re- visit both facilities within the next six months for follow-up surveys. In the meantime, Ms. Ebanks said, “We’re going to have someone come in and work with us. We’re al- ways open to new things.” Copies of the full reports are available at www.oes.gov.ky. Steve Higgins and April Marr present a check to the president of the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens Jasmine Minott last week. This is the third consecutive year the Jamaica-based Steve Higgins & Friends have played in Cayman and donated proceedings to local charities or organizations.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 OCTOBER 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, OCT. 23 YOUTH CONVENTION: The Wesleyan Churches of the Cayman Islands open their 6th Annual Youth Convention at 7:30 p.m. in the Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre, North Side. Convention continues through Oct. 28. The theme is “Navigating your spiritual journey in a post- modern world.” Featured are Pastors Alson Ebanks, Ronald Benjamin and John Gray High School Counselor Christopher Murray. Bus service will be available nightly from George Town to North Side. For more information, contact Cassandra on 925-1930 or Pastor King on 916-5372. BREAST CANCER AWARENESS: North Side Clinic, 10 a.m. to noon. THURSDAY, OCT. 25 BRAC COURT: Today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. Aston Rutty Civic Centre. BREAST CANCER AWARENESS: Public meeting, Lions Community Centre, 7:30 p.m. FRIDAY, OCT. 26 LEADERSHIP CAYMAN: Today is the deadline to apply for Leadership Cayman, a six-month personal and community leadership program coordinated by the Chamber of Commerce. Applicants must be 30 years of age, in a middle management position and must have resided in the Cayman Islands for at least one year. Apply online at www.leadershipcayman.ky. DRESS DOWN DAY: Dress Pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, organized by the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens. SATURDAY, OCT. 27 FULL GOSPEL BUSINESSMEN: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International is having its monthly breakfast at 7:30 a.m., at Lola’s Restaurant in Camana Bay. There will be open sharing. BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS: Residents are invited to come out and support business innovators who will be featured at the Business Excellence Awards at The Ritz-Carlton. Winners in six categories will be announced, and a Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Keith Parker Tibbetts Jr. The evening will include refreshments and live entertainment. For tickets, visit www.eventpro.ky or call the Chamber of Commerce at 949-8090. FAMILY FUN DAY: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Location at Leeward Drive, North Sound Estates, Newlands. Follow balloons from the ICCI campus. Kids/ family games with prizes, magicians, balloon bending, face painting, bouncy castle, raffle, baked goods stall, used goods stall, Christmas stall. Food vendors, music and more. Fundraiser organized by North Sound Estates Neighbourhood Watch and Community Group. Contact 321-9443 for more details. SUNDAY, OCT. 28 DAY OF BEAUTY: A fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. At Sameena’s Beauty Centre, 80 North Church Street. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Special prices on facials, massages, manicures and more. OLDER PERSONS SERVICE: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church, 11 a.m. All are invited. MONDAY, OCT. 29 BRAC PUBLIC MEETING: The Ministry of Community Affairs holds its final district Self-Harm presentation in Cayman Brac. The venue and time of this seminar, held in partnership with the Alex Panton Foundation, will be announced shortly. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 31 SEAFARERS: The Seafarers Association wishes to inform all members that there will be the October Costume Party at 7 p.m. in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Ave. Prospect. Come prepared to share your memories of days at Sea. Buses will be provided from West Bay Town Hall at 6 p.m. A bus route leaves the George Town Public library parking area at 7 p.m., stopping at Cayman Compass building and the Airport Foster’s. The bus is blue and marked Bobo $1 Public transport. There is no charge. GENERAL INTEREST CAYMAN ARTISTS INVITED: Artists resident in the Cayman Islands or artists of the Caymanian diaspora are invited to submit photos of work (or work concept drawings/photos), with an accompanying artist’s statement relating the work to the exhibition synopsis for consideration, in electronic format, directed to the attention of the curator at assistantcurator@ nationalgallery.org.ky. Deadline for submission is Monday, Nov. 26, at 5 p.m. For more information, contact public.engagement@ nationalgallery.org.ky. U.K. 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. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Be a volunteer for athlete training at Truman Bodden Sports Complex 5:30 p.m. for basketball skills, track, bocce and football. Swimming on Wednesdays at the Lions Pool 10-11 a.m. or on Saturdays at the Cayman International School pool, 9:30 a.m. Email soci@candw.ky or call 916-2600. TOBACCO LICENSES: Tobacco license holders are reminded of the 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1 deadline to apply for their annual license renewals. Annual registration renewal fees are $500 for a retailer, $750 for a cigar bar and $5,000 for a wholesale distributor. Persons in Grand Cayman must submit their applications at the Business Licensing Counter, first floor, Government Administration Building. In the Sister Islands, applications must be submitted to DCI Senior Licensing Officer, Lolita Bodden-Arch, in the Bodden and Bodden building on Cayman Brac. SEAFARERS HALL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association wishes to inform the community that the hall is now available for rental every day of the week, including Saturdays, as the church is no longer contracted with the association at 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. 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. 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. 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. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.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 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 Tuesdays 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. A number of breast cancer awareness events are scheduled for this month, including a Dress Down Day on Friday, Oct. 26, when members of the public are invited to dress in pink.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2018 Cayman National. That restriction also needs to be removed, but was not voted on at the Oct. 9 meeting due to “an administrative over- sight,” according to a no- tice on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange. “We apologize for any convenience,” Cayman Na- tional stated in its notice, setting a date of Nov. 7 for the next meeting. As of Oct. 15, the Re- public Bank has received acceptances for at least a total of 22,934,246 ordi- nary shares of Cayman Na- tional, representing 54.15% of the local bank’s ordinary shares. Republic Bank is paying US$6.25 per share, which is a US$3.25 pre- mium of what the stock was trading at before the offer was announced in early August – the stock was trading at US$5.50 as of Monday. Republic Bank’s goal is to purchase up to 74.99 percent of Cayman Na- tional’s stock. Republic Bank Trinidad and Tobago (Barbados) Ltd. was incorporated in Bar- bados in 1999, and is a part of Trinidad-based Re- public Financial Holdings Ltd., which was originally called Colonial Bank when it was formed in 1837, ac- cording to the organiza- tion’s website. Republic Financial Holdings Ltd. has more than $10 billion in assets, owns banks in Guyana, Grenada, Suriname, St. Lucia, and Ghana – as well as having a class B bank in Cayman, Republic Bank (Cayman) Limited – and has more than 4,000 em- ployees in Trinidad alone, its website states. prepare for their journey, and Mr. Yetton said they used a variety of techniques to ramp up for the effort. The group climbed the observation tower at Camana Bay and some of the hikers prepared by biking, climbing in heavy sand and rock-climbing on Cayman Brac. The group that experi- enced the climbing and rap- pelling on the Brac worked with Rock Iguana climbing instructor Angel Robledo, who has summited Denali, the highest peak in North America. The summit of De- nali is 20,310 feet, which is roughly equal to what the group will experience at Island Peak. “Some of us have done this kind of thing before. Others of us haven’t,” said Mr. Yetton of climbing at high altitude. “The altitude is the thing that most of us don’t understand. Some people deal with it well and some people don’t. It’s to- tally draining, but your body gets used to it after a while.” After landing in Kath- mandu on Thursday, the group took a flight to Lukla and made a four-hour trek to Phakding over the weekend. The second day of the trek took them from Phakding to Namche Bazaar. The group will make its way through three high passes and will pass through the scenic Himalayan val- leys of Gokyo, Khumbu and Imja. They will make it to Everest base camp and will attempt to summit Island Peak, also known as Imja Tse, which was first climbed by Tenzing Norgay and company in 1953. The temperatures will po- tentially reach the 70s Far- enheit while the group is in Kathmandu, but it will be far colder during the length of the trek. Mr. Yetton ex- pects that it will be in the 30s or 40s during the day, and it could get down to single digits at night when the team is up over 10,000 feet in altitude. “It’s very cold,” he said of the mountain conditions. “But there will be blue skies and very little chance of pre- cipitation. During the day, it shouldn’t be too bad, because the sun will be on you.” Mr. Yetton said the climbers will each be lug- ging around 30 pounds on their back, and they will have porters to help with heavy equipment such as tents and sleeping gear that they will need each night. The group is sched- uled to leave Kathmandu for their journey home on Nov. 14, but they will have more than three weeks to take in the sights of one of the world’s most unforget- table landscapes. “From what I’ve read and from what other people have said, it’s very difficult to de- scribe the majesty of not just Everest but of all the other peaks and mountains around you,” Mr. Yetton said. “We’re not climbing Everest, but for us this is a big expedition. And the experience will be spectacular.” The group took in the sights of the great Boudha Stupa in Kathmandu. Cayman climbers embark on trek to the Himalayas CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Members of the group trained with Angel Robledo, left, of Rock Iguana in Cayman Brac before embarking on their journey. Trinidad bank extends offer for Cayman National stock CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Board urges Puerto Rico to implement tax, labor reforms SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – The executive director of a federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico’s fi- nances said Monday that the island is likely to receive $20 billion more than initially es- timated in federal relief as it rebuilds from Category 4 Hurricane Maria. Overall, Puerto Rico is slated to receive $82 bil- lion, said Natalie Jaresko, warning that the funds will help the struggling economy to rebound but that gains will be short-lived unless there are tax and labor reforms. “It continues to be ab- solutely critical,” she said of the reforms, which she did not specify. “We may have lost a window of opportunity.” Jaresko met with re- porters to outline a new fiscal plan for the U.S. ter- ritory, which has been in a recession for 12 years and is trying to restructure part of its more than $70 billion in public debt. The board is scheduled to approve the new plan on Tuesday, although it’s un- clear whether the island’s government supports it. A spokesman for Christian So- brino, the government’s rep- resentative on the board, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gov- ernment officials have previ- ously rejected portions of the original plan. The revised five-year fiscal plan, which serves as an economic blueprint for the island, anticipates a 6 percent increase in rev- enues and a 7 percent de- crease in expenditures for this fiscal year. Jaresko said Puerto Rico also could see a $17 bil- lion surplus if it reaches a settlement with those who bought sales tax bonds is- sued by the local govern- ment. The agreement with creditors finalized last week represents nearly 24 percent of the island’s debt, and of- ficials expect the deal to be presented next month to a judge overseeing a bank- ruptcy-like process for Puerto Rico agencies. The fiscal plan does not contain any overhauls to Puerto Rico’s tax and labor systems, which Jaresko said are needed to help the economy rebound. She said the government has to im- prove the ease of doing busi- ness on the island as well as create a more competitive labor market and transition employees from the informal economy to the formal one. Puerto Rico legislators are still debating a tax re- form bill that the board has said does not meet the need for a broader, more pro- gressive tax regime. Jar- esko also warned the island would face long term defi- cits if the local government does not make the economy more competitive. “To change long term, more hard work remains,” she said. U.S. COAST GUARD: 1 DEAD AFTER FALL ABOARD BAHAMAS-BOUND CRUISE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Authorities say a man has died after falling aboard a cruise ship traveling from Florida to the Bahamas. U.S. Coast Guard spokesman John Lally says the man fell Friday eve- ning aboard the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s Grand Classica. The 1,680-passenger ship was sailing from the Port of Palm Beach to Free- port in the Bahamas. In a Palm Beach Post report, Lally said Coast Guard crews met the ship about 13 miles east of port and brought the man back to shore. Lally said the man was pronounced dead at a Florida hospital. Nei- ther the man’s name nor hometown was immedi- ately released. In a statement, the cruise line said the ship continued to Grand Ba- hama Island after a pas- senger was evacuated “due to a medical emergency.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS India Zika outbreak exceeds 100 cases The number of Zika virus cases has crossed 100 in Rajasthan, a state in northern India where palaces and forts draw large numbers of tourists each year. The World Health Organization says that the first case in India was reported from Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat in January 2017. Killing of Khashoggi threatens Trump dreams for Mideast peace ‘Extremely dangerous’ Hurricane Willa aims for Mexico’s west TRUMP REDUCING CENTRAL AMERICAN AID OVER MIGRANTS MEXICO CITY (AP) – Hurri- cane Willa has grown rap- idly into an “extremely dan- gerous” near-Category 5 storm in the eastern Pacific, on a path to smash into Mex- ico’s western coast between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta by Wednesday. The governments of Sinaloa and Nayarit states ordered coastal region schools to close on Monday and began preparing emer- gency shelters ahead of the onslaught. The U.S. National Hur- ricane Center said that Willa could “produce life- threatening storm surge, wind and rainfall over por- tions of southwestern and west-central Mexico begin- ning on Tuesday.” It pre- dicted that Willa could be- come a Category 5 hurricane later Monday, generating life-threatening surf and rip tide conditions. A hurricane warning was posted for Mexico’s western coast between San Blas and Mazatlan, including the Islas Marias, a nature re- serve and federal prison di- rectly in the forecast track of the storm. Tropical storm warn- ings ranged from Playa Pe- rula north to San Blas and from Mazatlan north to Bahia Tempehuaya. The center said Willa is ex- pected make landfall late Tuesday or early Wednesday. By early Monday, Willa had maximum sustained winds of 155 mph – the same windspeed Hurri- cane Michael had at land- fall in Florida – and was centered about 200 miles south-southwest of the Islas Marias and 155 miles south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes. It was moving north at 7 mph. Hurricane force winds extended 30 miles from the storm’s core and tropical storm force winds were up to 90 miles out. The hurricane center said 6 to 12 inches of rain should fall – and some places could see up to 18 inches – on parts of western Jalisco, western Nayarit and southern Sinaloa states. It warned of the danger of flash flooding and landslides in moun- tainous areas. Farther to the south, Trop- ical Storm Vicente weak- ened but was still expected to produce heavy rain- fall and flooding over parts of southern and south- western Mexico. By early Monday, its core was about 195 miles south- east of Acapulco with top sustained winds of 45 mph. The hurricane center said it could produce 3 to 6 inches of rain in parts of Guer- rero, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states. WASHINGTON (AP) – Pres- ident Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. would begin “cutting off, or sub- stantially reducing” aid to three Central American na- tions over a migrant car- avan heading to the U.S. southern border. Trump tweeted: “Guate- mala, Honduras and El Sal- vador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S.” The three coun- tries received a combined more than $500 million in funding from the U.S. in fiscal year 2017, though it was not immediately clear how much Trump is seeking to cut. The Monday morning tweets marked the latest escalation by the president, who is seeking to re-inject immigration politics into the national conversation in the closing weeks of the midterm elections. On a three-day cam- paign swing to Western states last week, Trump raised alarm over thou- sands of migrants trav- eling through Mexico to the U.S. and threat- ened to seal off the U.S.- Mexico border if they were not stopped. As the migrants con- tinued their northward march about 900 miles from the U.S. border, Trump tweeted that, “Sadly, it looks like Mexico’s Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan. He added: “I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy.” White House officials could not immediately provide details. JERUSALEM (AP) – In recent months, the Trump admin- istration has repeatedly put off the release of its long- awaited Mideast peace plan. Now, the death of Saudi jour- nalist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of Saudi agents may put the plan into a deep freeze. Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was meant to be the linchpin of the plan, pro- viding key diplomatic cover to both Israelis and Pales- tinians. But with the Saudi prince’s credibility facing se- rious questions following Khashoggi’s death, Presi- dent Donald Trump may soon have to rethink his Mideast strategy. “It definitely com- plicates their plans to re- lease their proposal, if indeed they have one,” said Dan Sha- piro, who served as Presi- dent Barack Obama’s ambas- sador to Israel. Trump took office prom- ising a new approach to peace making between Israel and the Palestinians. Criticizing decades of failure by his predecessors, he named a Mideast team headed by his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. The team has deep ties to Is- rael and the West Bank set- tler movement. The Trump administra- tion notably refused to en- dorse the establishment of a Palestinian state, distancing itself from the two-state so- lution favored by the inter- national community for more than two decades. Instead, Kushner’s team turned to the Saudis, hoping that the kingdom’s deep pockets and prestige in the Arab world could somehow help bring the Israelis and Palestinians together. Kushner struck up a spe- cial relationship with the crown prince, portraying him as a swashbuckling force, a leader who could help mod- ernize a troubled region. Last year, Kushner paid a secret visit to Saudi Arabia to dis- cuss his strategy for Israel and the Palestinians. But long before the cur- rent crisis over Khashoggi’s death, the peace plan ran into in trouble. Palestinian Presi- dent Mahmoud Abbas was invited to Saudi Arabia twice last year to talk to Prince Mo- hammed about the emerging American proposal. Palestinian officials say that in briefings with the Saudis, Abbas raised objec- tions after concluding the plan would fall far short of his goal of establishing an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Aides say Abbas believes the Americans want to keep him quiet by attracting large sums of money from Gulf Arab investors to develop the Palestinian economy. With the Palestinian front quiet, the United States could then proceed with the broader aim of creating an Israeli-Saudi alliance to serve as a regional counterweight to Iran. In the meantime, his re- lations with the Americans have deteriorated. Abbas severed ties with the White House after the U.S. recog- nized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last December and then moved its embassy to the holy city. Relations wors- ened as the U.S. cut hundreds of millions of dollars of di- rect and indirect aid to the Palestinians. Amid this back- drop, Abbas has already said he will not accept the White House initiative, arguing that Trump is unfairly biased in favor of Israel. At the same time, Prince Mohammed’s credibility has taken a beating with a se- ries of questionable deci- sions in recent months. He has pushed for an unsuc- cessful blockade of Qatar, led a bloody and unpopular war in neighboring Yemen and abruptly cut off ties with Canada after its foreign min- ister criticized Saudi Arabia. Although the prince has not been directly implicated in the death of Khashoggi at a Saudi Consulate in Turkey, the slaying has raised fur- ther questions about his suit- ability to lead. A U.S. official familiar with the peace effort said the team remains committed to its plan and does not expect the crisis surrounding the Khashoggi killing to affect it. The official added, how- ever, that the team has not yet discussed the matter since the Saudis confirmed Khashoggi’s death over the weekend, and plans a discus- sion in the coming days. He said it remains unclear when the proposal will be made public. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue with the media. Israel and the Palestin- ians, wary of antagonizing the Saudis, also have said little about Khashoggi’s killing. Israel has not com- mented, though Prime Min- ister Benjamin Netanyahu last week boasted in speeches about improved behind-the- scenes ties with moderate Arab countries, an apparent reference to Saudi Arabia. Abbas, meanwhile, expressed his “absolute confidence” in the Saudis last week. Shapiro, the former U.S. ambassador, said that even if Trump agrees to work with the Saudis, the weak- ened Prince Mohammed is not in a position to “break taboos” and push the Pales- tinians into making conces- sions that are unpopular in the Arab world. And on the international stage, he said other actors, including the U.S. Congress and the Europeans, will have deep misgivings about engaging with the crown prince, who is known by his initials MBS. “That Saudi partner needs to be predictable, needs to be reliable, needs to be respon- sible. What this incident tells us is that that’s not the Saudi partner we have right now,” he said. “None of them are likely to sit with MBS any- time soon to strategize on re- gional matters and he will be seen as a pariah.” Mkhaimer Abusada, a Palestinian analyst, said he thinks the Khashoggi killing will have a “huge effect” on the crown prince’s own be- havior as well. “I think from now on, he is going to count his steps carefully and stop being that impulsive,” he said. “The Pal- estinians will reject the U.S. peace plan when it’s officially on the table and MBS will not be in any good position to wield any pressure on the Palestinians to accept it.” By early Monday, Willa had maximum sustained winds of 155 mph – the same windspeed Hurricane Michael had at landfall in Florida. President Donald Trump waves as he walks across the South Lawn Saturday, returning to the White House in Washington after attending a rally in Nevada. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2018 Bolton faces tense talks with Russia over nuclear treaty UK’s May pleads for support, says Brexit deal is almost done GERMANY PRESSES FOR EU UNITY ON SAUDI ARABIA ARMS EXPORTS LONDON (AP) – British Prime Minister Theresa May was seeking to scotch a growing rebellion against her Brexit plans Monday, urging law- makers to back her and saying a divorce deal with the European Union is 95 percent complete. May’s office said she planned to tell the House of Commons that “the vast ma- jority” of issues are settled, in- cluding the status of Gibraltar, Britain’s territory at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula. The prime minister also appealed to voters directly with an article in The Sun tabloid, saying “the very last stages of the talks are going to be the hardest of all” but insisting “the finish line is in sight.” But May faces dissent from her political opponents – and, more worryingly, her own Conservative Party – over her blueprint for separation and future relations with the bloc. Grumbling has grown since she suggested last week that Britain could re- main bound by EU rules for two years or more during a transition period after it leaves on March 29. London and Brussels say the main obstacle to an am- icable divorce is finding a way to avoid customs posts and other barriers on the border between the U.K.’s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. Both sides agree there must be no hard border that could disrupt businesses and residents on both sides and undermine Northern Ire- land’s hard-won peace pro- cess. But each has rejected the other side’s solution. An inconclusive EU summit last week ended without a breakthrough on the border impasse. Britain and the EU say they remain hopeful of striking a deal this fall, so that relevant par- liaments can approve it be- fore Brexit day. But May’s room for ma- neuver is limited by pres- sure from pro-Brexit Conser- vatives and her government’s Northern Irish ally, the Dem- ocratic Unionist Party, who oppose any more compro- mises with the EU. She’s also opposed by pro- EU lawmakers who want to keep close ties with the bloc after Brexit. Amid talk of a leadership challenge, criticism of May has grown increasingly in- temperate. Weekend news- paper headlines saying the prime minister is entering “the killing zone” and faces a metaphorical knifing drew sharp rebukes. Conservative legislator Sarah Woollaston tweeted to condemn the “disturbing & violent language” used by some of her colleagues. May’s official spokesman, James Slack, offered a suc- cinct response. “The prime minister has always been very clear that we must set a tone in public discourse that is neither de- humanizing nor deroga- tory,” Slack said. “Personal vitriol has no place in our politics,” he said. Conservative lawmaker Grant Shapps said the coming week would be dan- gerous for May, as pro-Brexit Tories pondered whether to try to oust her. “It’s fairly high on the scale” of risk, Shapps told the BBC. “But she operates at the upper end of that scale almost every day of her life and remarkably, walks out at the other end.” With the Brexit clock ticking, fears are growing that Britain could crash out of the European Union without an agreement, an outcome that could create chaos at the borders and in the EU and British economies. BERLIN (AP) – A top German official pressed Monday for the European Union to show a united front on arms exports to Saudi Arabia after Berlin backed a freeze on such exports over the killing of writer Jamal Khashoggi. Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday that arms exports to Saudi Arabia “can’t take place in the situation we’re cur- rently in.” Her government and others in Europe have said the kingdom’s expla- nation so far of what hap- pened to Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul is insufficient. German Economy Min- ister Peter Altmaier, whose ministry is responsible for authorizing weapons ex- ports, told ZDF television Monday that “we won’t, at this point, approve any further arms exports be- cause we want to know what happened.” “For me, it is important to reach a joint European position … because only if all European countries agree will this make an im- pression on the government in Riyadh,” Altmaier said. He added that “it will have no positive conse- quences if we, as we are doing, currently don’t pursue our arms exports, if at the same time other countries fill this gap.” Officials made evident that Germany’s position stands for as long as ex- actly what happened to Khashoggi was in doubt. “When it is cleared up, we will then see what happens next,” Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said. It was not clear if the German government also plans to block arms exports to Saudi Arabia that it pre- viously approved. Altmaier said the government will now consider that question, and there should be a re- sult “very soon.” Economy Ministry spokeswoman Tanja Ale- many said German exports worth 416 million euros (US$479 million) to the kingdom were approved in the first three quarters of the year, but she did not have a figure for how many have been delivered so far. MOSCOW (AP) – U.S. Na- tional Security Adviser John Bolton began talks with top Russian officials Monday during a previously sched- uled trip that took a new turn with President Donald Trump saying he would pull out of a landmark nuclear weapons treaty. Russian officials have ex- pressed disappointment with Trump’s announcement on Saturday that the United States would walk away from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Russian President Vlad- imir Putin will be meeting with Bolton and is anxious to hear his explanations for Trump’s decision, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday. Trump’s announcement brought sharp criticism on Sunday from Russian offi- cials and from former So- viet President Mikhail Gor- bachev, who signed the treaty in 1987 with President Ronald Reagan. Trump said Russia has violated terms of the treaty that prohibit the U.S. and Russia from possessing, pro- ducing or test-flying ground- launched nuclear cruise mis- siles with a range of 300 to 3,400 miles. Russia has repeatedly denied allegations that it has produced and tested such a missile. Trump didn’t provide de- tails about any alleged vi- olations. Russia has re- peatedly denied violating the treaty and accused the United States of being out of compliance. Deputy Foreign Min- ister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as telling state news agency Tass that leaving the treaty “would be a very dangerous step.” It would “cause the most serious condemnation from all members of the inter- national community who are committed to security and stability.” Konstatin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs com- mittee in Russia’s upper house of parliament, said on Facebook that a U.S. with- drawal from the treaty would mean “mankind is facing full chaos in the nuclear weapons sphere.” “Washington’s desire to turn back politics cannot be supported. Not only Russia, but also all who cherish the world, especially a world without nuclear weapons, must declare this,” Gorbachev was quoted as telling the In- terfax news agency. Western reaction was mixed. British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said the U.K. stands “absolutely res- olute” with Washington on the issue and called on the Kremlin to “get its house in order,” according to the Fi- nancial Times. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that Trump’s announcement “raises diffi- cult questions for us and Eu- rope,” but noted that Russia hasn’t cleared up allegations of violating the treaty. The Kremlin has not di- rectly commented on Trump’s statement, but spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday that “after the last state- ments, explanations of the American side will be re- quired.” Bolton and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on Tuesday. On Monday, Bolton meets with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. U.S. Senator Bob Corker, a member of Trump’s Repub- lican Party, warned that with- draw from the INF could lead to undoing other arms trea- ties. But he suggested that Trump’s statement could be aimed at pressuring Moscow rather than a firm determina- tion to leave the treaty. “Maybe this is just a move to say, look … if you don’t straighten up we’re moving out of this,” he said Sunday on CNN. “And I hope that’s the case.” Sen. Rand Paul, also a Re- publican, pointed the finger at Bolton, saying on Fox News that he is likely the one advising Trump to withdraw and “I don’t think he recog- nizes the important achieve- ment of Reagan and Gor- bachev on this.” The prospect of with- drawing from the INF adds to the substantial tensions between Washington and Moscow, including allega- tions of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and sanctions imposed over Russia’s involvement in the eastern Ukraine conflict. On Friday, the U.S. an- nounced criminal charges against a Russian for alleged attempts to influence next month’s midterm elections. The treaty helps pro- tect the security of the U.S. and its allies in Europe and the Far East, but has con- strained the U.S. from devel- oping new weapons. The U.S. will begin devel- oping them unless Russia and China agree not to pos- sess or develop the weapons, Trump said. China is not a party to the pact. “We’ll have to develop those weapons, unless Russia comes to us and China comes to us and they all come to us and say ‘let’s really get smart and let’s none of us develop those weapons,’ but if Russia’s doing it and if China’s doing it, and we’re adhering to the agreement, that’s unaccept- able,” he said. U.S. National security adviser John Bolton will be raising thorny subjects with his counterparts in Moscow to help craft a script for another high-level meeting between Trump and Russia President Vladimir Putin. – PHOTO: AP British Prime Minister Theresa May, right, speaks with European Council President Donald Tusk after a summit in Brussels, Friday. – PHOTO: APNext >