High of 83 Low of 73 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 EU ‘BLACKLISTS’: RAISE THE CAYMAN FLAG, NOT THE WHITE FLAG WORLD | PAGE 8 TRUMP MAKES PUBLIC APPEAL FOR WALL FUNDS ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 Regulated in the Cayman Islands as a licensed insurer by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. Incorporated in Guernsey under Company Registration No. 27151. Registered Head Office address: Generali Worldwide Insurance Company Limited, Generali House, Hirzel Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands GY1 4PA. Head Office: Regulated in Guernsey as a licensed Insurer by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission under the Insurance Business (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2002 (as amended). Generali Worldwide Insurance Company Limited is part of the Generali Group, listed in the Italian Insurance Group Register under number 026. Providing Health Insurance benefits up to a Lifetime Maximum of US $2,400,000. Call us to learn how we can support your business today at 747-2000. Virgin subsidiary buys Cayman solar plant MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com BMR Energy has acquired a 5-megawatt solar plant in Bodden Town from Entropy Cayman. The plant is the only commercial-scale solar facility on island. The Virgin Group company, owned by Richard Branson, de- velops and operates clean energy projects in the Caribbean and Latin America. It will take over all operations of the solar facility, as well as the power purchase agree- ment under which the electricity generated at the 22-acre plant is sold to Caribbean Utilities Com- pany, according to a press release issued by BMR. The Bodden Town Solar Farm is located in a former quarry and has 21,690 photovoltaic panels. It started operations in July 2017. “We are pleased to estab- lish operations in the Cayman Is- lands and contribute to its tran- sition to renewable energy,” said Bruce Levy, CEO of BMR Energy. “Our team is looking forward to driving facility operations to boost efficiency to deliver as much clean energy as we can for the com- munity and [we] look forward to expanding our Cayman op- erations in the future.” BMR said it is working closely with CUC to provide reliable re- newable energy to consumers and support Cayman in the pursuit of its target of generating 70 percent of electricity from renewable en- ergy sources by 2037, as defined by the National Energy Policy. Sacha Tibbetts, vice president of Customer Services and Tech- nology for CUC, said he is looking forward to working together with BMR Energy on the continued op- eration of the solar farm. He said, “CUC’s aim is to have 25 percent of energy on the grid come from renewable energy sources by 2025 and to meet the objectives and targets of the Na- tional Energy Policy over the longer term.” Currently, the solar plant is Cayman’s only utility-scale re- newable energy facility and pro- vides up to 5 MW to CUC grid’s peak load of about 110 MW, enough to provide power to about 800 homes. CUC is Cayman’s only electricity provider and has more than 29,000 customers. Cayman’s utility regulator OfReg said in a report last year that the solar plant had made a positive impact during its first year of operation in terms of pro- ducing clean electricity, reducing greenhouse gas and creating jobs. But the solar facility’s owner Entropy, a subsidiary of North JAMAICAN EPIDEMIC SPARKS DENGUE FEVER CONCERNS MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Dengue fever is not currently a problem in the Cayman Islands. And local health officials want to keep it that way. Spurred in part by a recent epidemic level outbreak in Jamaica, the Ministry of Health is warning Cayman residents to be on guard for signs of the disease and to make extra efforts in eliminating mosquito breeding areas. There were 123 suspected, presumed or confirmed cases of dengue fever in Jamaica in December. Anything above 96 cases for a month is considered an epidemic. One young boy reportedly died from the disease during the month. Such fatalities are rare, but not unheard of. Among Jamaica’s 830 reported cases in 2018, there were seven Premier travels to United States and Europe to discuss new legislation Premier Alden McLaughlin left the Cayman Islands on Wednesday to attend meet- ings in London, Brussels, Paris, Berlin and New York to continue discussions about recently ap- proved economic substance leg- islation and Cayman’s efforts to meet international standards for the financial services industry. He is joined by Minister for Financial Services Tara Rivers, Attorney General Samuel Bulgin and other ministry officials in the talks about global develop- ments in the finance industry and Cayman’s continued efforts to avoid an European Union tax blacklisting. The delegation will outline the steps taken by the Cayman Islands to meet EU require- ments, reaffirm Cayman’s com- mitment to international stan- dards and address any concerns of global partners, the Premier’s Office said in a press release. In December, lawmakers ap- proved the International Tax Co- operation (Economic Substance) Bill and two other pieces of leg- islation to reform its tax system. A year earlier, the EU had provisionally excluded Cayman from its blacklist of countries considered uncooperative in tax An aerial image of the Bodden Town Solar Farm which has been bought by Richard Branson’s BMR Energy. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Samuel BulginTara RiversPremier Alden McLaughlin2 LOCAL®IONAL THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 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. - THURSDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) ESCAPE ROOM (PG13) 1:55 I 4:30 I 5:35 I 7:25 I 10:00 MARY POPPINS RETURNS (PG) 12:50 I 3:50 I 6:45 I 9:45 ELLIOT THE LITTLEST REINDEER (PG) 12:15 I 4:50 AQUAMAN (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 2:05 3D I 3:45 I 6:35 VIP 8:00 I 9:40 3D THE GRINCH (PG) 2:30 I 7:05 BUMBLEBEE (PG13) 1:00 I 3:55 VIP I 7:00 3D I 9:25 I 9:50 VIP COLOMBIA’S PEACE COURT WEIGHS TRUTH, JUSTICE AND MISTRUST BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) – Ar- mando Acuna arrived at Colombia’s nascent peace tribunal to tell the story of his kidnapping, car- rying the chain rebels used to hold him captive for nearly two years. Former congresswoman Clara Rojas brought her written memoirs con- taining a tale of sur- vival and childbirth in the jungle that, she admitted to judges, she hesitated to tell again, fearful of reopening old wounds. Olga Esperanza Rojas brought an agonizing plea: An appeal to find her soldier husband who disappeared on his way to work at a mil- itary barracks over two de- cades ago. “Jose!” she cried aloud at a recent hearing. “Where are you Jose?!” One by one, many of the victims of Latin America’s longest-running armed con- flict are providing brutal testimony to a new Spe- cial Peace Jurisdiction that is one of the most contro- versial aspects of the 2016 peace accord between Co- lombia’s government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The court has opened a half-dozen cases against hundreds of leftist guerrilla and military officers in its the first year of operation, and its president, Patricia Li- nares, said the first verdicts should come this year. The tribunal’s success may depend on whether it survives attempts by op- ponents of the peace pro- cess to undo the terms of the original agreement and on its ability to quickly de- liver decisions that resonate with the public in Colombia, where the peace accord is still divisive, impunity is the norm and violence in the countryside by other armed groups is again raging. Boat crash at the Kittiwake JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A dive boat was seriously damaged when another boat smashed into it while it was moored up on the Kittiwake shipwreck dive site. Skipper Drew McArthur had tied up Divetech’s 36- foot distinctive pink dive boat Atatude at the site and was about to commence his dive briefing to a group of tourists, when the colli- sion occurred around 1 p.m. Tuesday. He said he looked up to see a boat from Cathy Church’s Photo Centre trav- eling at speed toward them with no one at the helm. He shouted and waved at the boat to alert someone on board, but by the time they noticed what was happening, it was too late. “They plowed straight into the side of us,” said Mr. McArthur. The bow of the advancing boat shattered a window and left a gash in the side of Di- vetech’s vessel. Mr. McArthur said his guests were shaken by the incident but no one was injured. “It was a serious impact and there was significant damage to our boat,” he said. Mr. McArthur and Di- vetech owner Jo Mikuto- wicz were able to drive the vessel round to Har- bour House Marina, where it remained in dry dock Wednesday awaiting a full assessment of the damages. Ms. Mikutowicz said the impact had likely done thou- sands of dollars worth of damage to the boat. “They came straight through the hull. There is a massive hole in the side and, worse than that, there are splinters through the side of the hull,” she said. She added that there were snorkelers in the water at the time of the accident and it was lucky that no one was hurt. “It is extremely upsetting,” she said. “As a captain, you don’t leave your boat in full gear and step away from the helm,” she added. She said Ms. Church, who was on board along with at least one crewmember but apparently no tourists, had accepted responsibility at the scene. Asked for comment Thursday, Ms. Church, a well- known on-island underwater photographer, acknowledged there had been an accident. She said there was no injuries and both vessels had made it safely to the marina where they were being repaired. Asked about the claim that no one was at the helm of her boat when the incident occurred, she said, “I have no further comment on that be- cause it is complicated.” The Joint Marine Unit, which was patrolling along the west coast, responded to the incident and is investigating. South Sound boardwalk damaged again South Sound’s $1.3 million boardwalk has been damaged again after a truck apparently ran into it. This is the second time in three months that a vehicle has damaged the 1,500-foot-long boardwalk, which is still under construction and which is expected to be completed by the end of this month. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Divetech’s boat, Atatude, in dry dock at Harbour House Marina Wednesday, after a collision with another vessel at the Kittiwake wreck dive site on Tuesday. Inset: A closer look at the damage. - PHOTOS: TANEOS RAMSAY MATCHING GIFT BOOSTS RED CROSS TOWARD TARGET An anonymous donor has matched a $225,000 contri- bution from the Cayman Is- lands government to reno- vate the Cayman Islands Red Cross headquarters building and bring it up to code. The $450,000 total from the two entities brings the Red Cross three-quarters of the way to its goal of $600,000 for the project. The fundraising effort has been dubbed the “Shelter from the Storm Appeal” and was launched in July. Initial construction work on the building commenced in September 2018 and is sched- uled to continue through the first half of this year. “The facility operates as a primary hurricane shelter and is the first shelter to open in the event of an emergency,” Minister of Financial Services and Home Affairs Tara Rivers said in a statement. “Ensuring that it is fully operational is critical to the safety and well- being of the community.” The Cayman Islands Red Cross plans to open the reno- vated shelter June 1. Human rights activists arrive to deliver a report about violent acts during the conflict in the Uraba region, at the Special Peace Tribunal headquarters in Bogota, Colombia, Monday. – PHOTO: AP The Cathy Church’s Photo Centre boat is also being repaired at Harbour House Marina. - PHOTO: SUBMITTED Minister Tara Rivers, left, stands with Cayman Islands Red Cross director Jondo Obi outside the agency’s headquarters, which is being renovated.3 LOCAL NEWS Journalist Tammi Sul- liman is returning to Cayman 27 to manage the station and host a weekly political show. Ms. Sulliman, who left the station two years ago to work in news and public relations at Dart Real Estate, is going back to the Hurley’s Media Ltd.-owned company where she will manage the station’s news, community content, programming and operations. “We are happy to wel- come Tammi back home to Cayman 27 where she served the country for more than a decade, covering political and social issues,” said Hurley’s Media Ltd. Managing Di- rector Randy Merren. “Tammi brings with her institutional knowledge and experience of television and the local landscape. Her earned cred- ibility will serve to enhance the work we do at the TV station, bringing the stories and programming that mat- ters most to the people of the Cayman Islands.” As well as managing the TV station, Ms. Sulliman will resume a weekly polit- ical talk show on Cayman 27 in the coming months, occa- sionally anchoring the eve- ning news and co-hosting, with Woody DaCosta, the morning talk show, Cayman Crosstalk, which is simul- cast on both Cayman 27 and Rooster 101.9. “It is a privilege to once again serve the Cayman Is- lands community through local news, sports and com- munity content. Coming back to Cayman 27 allows me to work together with a com- mitted team to ensure the production and dissemina- tion of accurate informa- tion, balanced coverage and quality entertainment,” said Ms. Sulliman. She added, “Equally im- portant to me is the con- tinued training of young Caymanians in the fields of journalism and television production, a service Cayman 27 has been providing since its inception in 1992.” CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 Sulliman returns to Cayman 27 Taste of Cayman band will rock you Taste of Cayman Food and Drink Festival announced this week that tribute band Simply Queen will be the headline act at its Jan. 26 event. The Canadian Queen tribute band will play on the main stage at Festival Green, Camana Bay. Local bands The Never- ines and Beneil Miller and the Fyah Squad Band will also play at the festival. Fronted by Freddie Mer- cury impersonator, Rick Rock, Simply Queen also boasts guitarist Bob Wegner, who was hand-picked by Queen’s Bryan May and Roger Taylor to play the guitar in several productions of the award- winning “We Will Rock You” musical in Toronto. “We are all very excited for this year’s entertainment lineup. Opening with a selec- tion of great local acts, our headliner this year, Simply Queen, is an awesome choice for music that appeals to all ages and genres,” said Julie Allan, chair of the Taste of Cayman Committee and member of the Cayman Is- lands Tourism Association Executive Committee. “Everyone knows a song to sing along to by Queen. With the popularity of the recent, award-winning ‘Bo- hemian Rhapsody’ movie, I believe Queen fans are being renewed worldwide,” she added. The live entertainment is in addition to the enhanced All Things Cayman Area, which will provide an ad- ditional platform for show- casing local talent, including everything from music to crafts, organizers said. Taste of Cayman Food & Drink Festival takes place Saturday, Jan. 26 from 5-11:45 p.m. For tickets and further information, visit www.tasteofcayman.org. Tickets are also available at Funky Tang’s, Bon Vivant, Blackbeard’s and Big Daddy’s outlets, Divers Supply, Office Supply and Sports Supply.Canadian Queen tribute band, Simply Queen, will headline the Jan. 26 Taste of Cayman festival. Tammi SullimanThe 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. In a previous editorial, we called on Cayman Islands leaders to defend our country’s reputation and economy against the assault launched by the Nether- lands in the form of a “blacklist” that included Cayman and other offshore centers. Our government’s characteristically tepid response, consisting largely of mealy mouthed mutterings about “regret” at the “unfortunate” act of Dutch aggression, was not what we had in mind. Enter, thankfully, economist Richard W. Rahn, who in the opinion column adjacent to this editorial strikes forceful rhetorical blows against “bullying” govern- ments’ attempts to dictate the domestic affairs of smaller jurisdictions. Mr. Rahn gets to the heart of the matter, writing, “Powerful countries in centuries past would conquer poorer countries and then exploit their resources as a form of tribute. In the modern world, the language has been adulterated to make it sound as if the exploiters are the victims of the poorer countries – when the truth is quite the opposite.” Observe, for example, which countries inevitably escape the various blacklists peddled by European bureaucrats, regardless of their records on supposedly hallowed issues such as “transparency,” “tax evasion” and “anti-money laundering standards”: the United States, China, Singapore, Switzerland and, of course, members of the European Union. Instead, these self-proclaimed “tax police” traffic tired stereotypes of shady Caribbean “tax havens” and attempt to marginalize and further demonize jurisdictions, such as Cayman, that in reality go to great extremes to implement policies according to the dictates du jour from powerful entities such as the EU, U.K. and OECD, nominally to combat a revolving lineup of bogeymen, including tax evasion, money laundering, terror financing, etc. We would challenge the Netherlands, or any of the countries named above, to subject themselves to the same level of intense scrutiny levied upon Cayman. They will never do it, which is prima facie evidence of the hypocrisy afoot in their pious proclamations. Likewise, they will never prove, or even cite evidence, that their comparatively massive economies are somehow being harmed, and not helped, by the tax policies of Cayman or other small territories they have singled out for disappro- bation. They will not, because they cannot, because the evidence simply does not exist. By normal economic calculations, the European Union is largely a collective of failing – and nearly bankrupt – debtor nations with the arrogance to attempt to export their socialist ideals to successful capitalist economies, such as the Cayman Islands. We continue to be disturbed by the naiveté being exhibited by Cayman’s political leaders as they continue to accede to the always-mutating foreign demands put forward by Euro-Socialists whose extortionate weapon of choice increasingly has become the threat of being listed on one of their so-called “blacklists.” Fresh off a historic capitulation to EU mandates on “economic substance” legislation (followed swiftly by the Netherlands’ punch to Cayman’s gut), Premier Alden McLaughlin, Minister for Financial Services Tara Rivers, Attorney General Samuel Bulgin and other officials are heading off on yet another globe-trot- ting expedition to far-flung metropolises to attempt to convince foreign officials that Cayman is not the mortal enemy that they continue to insist we are. This time, Premier McLaughlin and his delegation are traveling to London, Brussels, Paris, Berlin and New York to discuss, according to a government press release, Cayman’s “continued efforts to meet interna- tional standards for the Financial Services Industry.” (We presume they are referring to the aforementioned “economic substance” bill passed by the Legislative Assembly late at night in late December, the practical details and consequences of which have still not been shared with the local citizenry.) Mr. Rahn writes, “The smartest people on the planet go to work in the tech companies, not in the tax departments of government – and that fact will ulti - mately protect economic opportunity and individual liberty.” … That doesn’t necessarily mean in Cayman. Our leaders may feel they are protecting Cayman’s economy by continually accommodating foreign entities that are openly hostile to Cayman’s interests, but as restrictive and oppressive regulations accumu- late, so do incentives for Cayman’s private investors and companies to take their global business elsewhere. EU ‘blacklists’: Raise the Cayman flag, not the white flag THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS The return of the tax bullies Bully: “A person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker.” In civilized societies, chil- dren are taught not to bully. The “#MeToo” movement has declared war on adult sexual bullies. But there is one area where the bullies have not been called out and, in fact, are often applauded, even though they have hurt thousands of times as many people as Harvey Weinstein. These bullies are government officials in big countries and international organiza- tions who use their power to weaken the economies of smaller and often poorer ju- risdictions – and their citi- zens by trying to deny them their right to set their own tax and economic policies. Last week, the govern- ment of the Netherlands blacklisted 21 jurisdictions “deemed to have low-tax re- gimes.” One of the specific sins of the blacklisted 21 was to have a corporate income- tax rate of 9 percent or less. It is widely agreed among tax economists that the cor- porate income tax is one of the worst taxes ever devised because it is largely a tax on capital – that is, a tax on productive saving and in- vestment. It is hard to de- vise a tax that hurts real wages, job creation and eco- nomic growth more than the corporate tax. Most of the jurisdic- tions on the blacklist have a much lower per-capita in- come than do the Dutch. The bottom line is that coun- tries that have refused to adopt a stupid tax that dam- ages their own citizens are being bullied by a much richer country. Powerful countries in centuries past would con- quer poorer countries and then exploit their resources as a form of tribute. In the modern world, the language has been adulterated to make it sound as if the ex- ploiters are the victims of the poorer countries – when the truth is quite the oppo- site. The low-tax jurisdic- tions allow for the accu- mulation and proper global allocation of capital to its highest and best use. The falsely labeled so-called tax havens are, for the most part, small-population places that can only absorb a limited amount of investment, so most of the funds that flow through them are invested in the large rich countries. The large rich nations have created international organizations like the Or- ganisation for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to facil- itate the restrictions on eco- nomic freedom and growth of the smaller blacklisted enti- ties. The economic establish- ment will scream at my char- acterization of this immoral system, which persists, in part, because of the constant flow of highly paid profes- sional staff between the in- ternational organizations and individual governments. It is a racket rife with conflicts of interest. It is particularly ironic that the Dutch are leading the latest charge against the smaller lower-tax jurisdic- tions since they have, for decades, been masters at creating special tax deals, particularly for multina- tional companies. They have managed to do so through a web of tax treaties that en- able many companies to es- cape much in the way of in- come tax. “In a recent study by the government agency, Statistics Netherlands, found that the country had re- ceived 4.6 trillion euros in foreign direct investment in 2017. However, less than a fifth of that money remained in the Dutch economy, while 4.2 trillion was routed through shell companies to other jurisdictions.” In the United States, the IRS has long acted as a tax bully. It is often aggressively mean-spirited when going after individual taxpayers, particularly high-profile tar- gets like Martha Stewart, but protects its own from any prosecution, even when the evidence is overwhelming about massive wrongdoing (remember Lois Lerner, who was never even charged). Over time, tax abuse by governments is corrected ei- ther by violent revolts (e.g. the American Revolution) or by passive resistance (tax avoidance or evasion). Resis- tance can take many forms, including people and their money fleeing the high tax jurisdiction. In the United States, a number of high- tax states are losing pop- ulation, including Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The beneficia - ries of the exodus are states without a state income tax, like Florida. (A related topic for another day is how many low-tax jurisdictions pro- vide a better level of gov- ernment service than high- tax entities.) What is most likely to dis- cipline the high-tax countries is the development of var- ious types of crypto and dig- ital currencies. Many of them will be nearly impossible for governments to monitor without spending more on enforcement than the trans- actions are worth. The new currencies will allow the movement of wealth around the world in near real time, largely undetected. The more that govern- ments try to clamp down on so-called tax havens, the greater the incentive they provide the global private sector to develop ways to avoid the tax bullies. The smartest people on the planet go to work in the tech com- panies, not in the tax depart- ments of government – and that fact will ultimately pro- tect economic opportunity and individual liberty. Richard W. Rahn is chairman of the Institute for Global Economic Growth and Improbable Success Productions. © 2019, The Washington Times, LLC. RICHARD W. RAHN ARD AH Over time, tax abuse by governments is corrected either by violent revolts (e.g. the American Revolution) or by passive resistance (tax avoidance or evasion). 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 THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 Sailor is navigating course to Tokyo Olympics in 2020 MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman sailor Jesse Jackson spent part of his Christmas break catching the wind off the water in the northern Adriatic Sea where he participated in the Laser Europa Cup, Croatia, Dec. 27-31. Mr. Jackson, 19, competed in a field of 25 sailors, among which he finished 18th. He’s hoping for better results in 2019, with the goal of quali- fying for the Olympic Games. “I feel my chances are pretty high,” said Mr. Jackson, speaking from Southampton, England, where he is a first-year stu- dent at Solent University. “But I’m going up against the best of the best.” He also has the disadvan- tage of not being able to sail during the winter months. “The water is a bit chilly,” he said of the Solent, a nearby strait. But he does get in regular gym workouts. His first chance at qual- ifying will not come until July when the World Cham- pionships are held in Japan. There, he would have to finish in the top four among competitors who have not already qualified for the Games. “I’ll have another oppor- tunity in the Pan American Games,” he said, referring to the July 25 to Aug. 11 event in Lima, Peru. “That has two spots up for grabs.” Mr. Jackson said he fell in love with sailing six years ago after attending a summer camp sponsored by the Cayman Islands Sailing Club. He was a student at Cayman Prep, which offered an after- school program, so he took additional lessons and began racing. The largest event he has competed in so far was last summer’s Central Amer- ican and Caribbean Games, where he finished 12th in a field of 17. Later this month, he plans to compete at the Hempel World Cup Series in Miami. At Solent University, he is studying yacht design and production. He hopes to even- tually earn a master’s degree in naval architecture and plans to start his own com- mercial fishing company in Cayman, with the eventual goal of having a fleet of boats and a restaurant. But right now, he’s fo- cused on the Tokyo Games. Other Caymanians have competed in sailing in past Olympics, most recently Flor- ence Allan, who took part in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. “I’m hoping that one good regatta will happen,” Mr. Jackson said, and that he’ll be able to qualify to take part in the Olympics. “I’m hoping my hard work pays off.” “ I feel my chances are pretty high, but I’m going up against the best of the best.” JESSE JACKSON, sailor Jesse Jackson spent part of his Christmas break from university sailing in the Laser Europa Cup, Croatia. 50 YEARS AGO: MBE for Bergstrom; Nixon aide visits Cayman In the Jan. 9, 1969 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the front page contained sto- ries about Eric Bergstrom being awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List and a visit to Grand Cayman by the then U.S. President-Elect Richard Nixon’s aide. The newspaper re- ported: “Mr. Eric James Bergstrom has been made a Member of the British Em- pire (Honorary) in Her Maj- esty the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List. “This Honour, which is well deserved, is honorary because Mr. Bergstrom is an American citizen and is only able to accept it with the permission of his own government. Mr. Bergstrom has given valuable service as chairman of the Cayman Islands Tourism Board for a period of several years. He has worked unstint- ingly for the promotion of tourism and his efforts have contributed greatly to the success achieved since the board was formed three years ago. “Mr. Bergstrom was ap- pointed as a member of the Executive Committee of the Caribbean Travel Associa- tion at their meeting in Gre- nada in June of 1968.” In a story titled “Nixon aide relaxes here,” the news- paper reported: “Relaxing in Cayman after assisting President- Elect Richard Nixon in his U.S. Presidential campaign, Mr. Leonard Garment was kind enough to grant our re- porter an interview. “When Mr. Nixon gave all his staff a week off to rest and be refreshed be- fore his term of office com- mences and the ‘pressure is on again’, Mr. Garment im- mediately thought of Pag- eant Beach Hotel on Grand Cayman where he had spent a pleasant week 10 years ago. All arrangements were made by Pageant’s manager Mr. Bernie Eldemire, and the Garment family arrived on Sunday, Dec. 29, for a week of sun and sea. The children, Paul and Sarah, found this an ideal place for swimming and snorkeling and Mr. Gar- ment enjoys the skin-diving opportunities here …. “Mr. Garment has been head of the Litiga- tion Department of the law firm Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie, Alexander and Mitchell for many years. The firm’s name will, of course, now be changed, omitting the names Nixon and Mitchell, in view of Mr. Mitchell’s appointment as Attorney General …. “Mr. Garment’s partic- ular contribution has been handling all the media ac- tivities, e.g., TV, radio, press, etc. “Strange to say, Mr. Gar- ment has always given his vote to the Democratic can- didates in previous elec- tions but he is obviously a great admirer of Mr. Nixon, whom he describes as a ‘hardworking, determined man who is clear about what he feels is needed; who worked 18 hours per day throughout the campaign and would often phone at 2 or 3 a.m. on some partic- ular matter!’ “As Mr. Nixon is a great lover of the ocean and sometimes visits Jamaica, Mr. Garment feels he may be able to put in a good word for Cayman, so that we might have the honour to entertain the U.S. Presi- dent at some future date.”The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY, JAN. 10 THATCH PLAITING: Community thatch plaiting class, 7-9 p.m. at the Heritage House, Cayman Brac. Cost $5. For more details, contact bracautumnfestival@gmail.com. COMMUNITY MEETING: The Cayman Islands Youth Development Consortium and Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will hold a community meeting kicking off Youth Month from 7-9 p.m. at the South Sound Civic Center. For more information call 917-3885, 928-2798 or visit www. supportingcaymanyouth.com. FRIDAY, JAN. 11 FUNDRAISER: Annual Zak Quappe fundraiser, titled “Best of Woodstock and Disco!” and starring Sea ‘N’ B, will be held tonight and tomorrow night. Prospect Playhouse. 7.30-9:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. For more information and tickets, visits www.cds.ky. Proceeds will be donated to the Zak Quappe Flight Scholarship. COMMUNITY MEETING: The Cayman Islands Youth Development Consortium and Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will hold a community meeting kicking off Youth Month from 7-9 p.m. at the Bodden Town Civic Center. For more information call 917-3885, 928-2798 or visit www. supportingcaymanyouth.com. SATURDAY, JAN. 12 SEA SWIM: The annual CUC 800 meter sea swim starts at 4 p.m. at Governors Beach. Register online at www.caymanactive.com. BEACH CLEANUP: Plastic Free Cayman and Red Sail Sports are hosting their monthly cleanup at Barefoot Beach, North Side. Arrive from 8 a.m. Bring a reusable water bottle and sturdy footwear. MONDAY, JAN. 14 COMMUNITY MEETING: The Cayman Islands Youth Development Consortium and Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will hold a community meeting kicking off Youth Month from 7-9 p.m. at the North Side Civic Center. For more information call 917-3885, 928-2798 or visit www. supportingcaymanyouth.com. TUESDAY, JAN. 15 COMMUNITY MEETING: The Cayman Islands Youth Development Consortium and Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will hold a community meeting kicking off Youth Month from 7-9 p.m. at the Gun Bay Civic Center in East End. For more information call 917-3885, 928-2798 or visit www. supportingcaymanyouth.com. SEAFARERS MEETING: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association invites members to a General Meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. Buses will be provided from West Bay Town Hall at 6 p.m. A bus route has been added in George Town, leaving the Public library parking area at 7 p.m., stopping at Cayman Compass building and the Airport Fosters. The bus is marked Bobo $1 Public Transport and is blue in color; there is no charge. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 16 CAYMAN COOKOUT: Internationally renowned chefs, culinary influencers and wine and spirit experts will gather Jan. 16 to 20 at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman for the 11th annual Cayman Cookout. THURSDAY, JAN. 17 LITTLE CAYMAN VEHICLE LICENSING: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Little Cayman District Office. PTA MEETING: Layman E. Scott Sr. High School PTA meeting, 7 p.m. SATURDAY, JAN. 19 COMMUNITY MEETING: Cayman 2020, Visualising Our Future. Community groups, including the National Trust, Saved The Cove, Save Barkers, Save Cayman and CPR Cayman, will host this event to address local marine and terrestrial conservation efforts and legislation, sustainable tourism and development, voter registration and constitutional rights, and more. South Sound Civic Centre. Noon to 4 p.m. CHRISTMAS TREE MULCH: The Department of Environmental Health invites residents who purchased natural Christmas trees to participate in its annual Christmas tree recycling program. Collection bins can be found until Jan. 18 at the Ed Bush Stadium in West Bay; the George Town Cricket Field; the George Town landfill public drop-off area; Spotts Dock, Savannah; and the entrance of Frank Sound Road. The trees will be shredded and the mulch will be available at the George Town Cricket Field today from 8 a.m. Mulch will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents are invited to come out early and to bring their shovels and bags for the removal of the mulch. SUNDAY, JAN. 20 FAMILY FUN DAY: The Garden Club of Grand Cayman and the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park will host a family fun day today at the Botanic Park. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Park entrance fee $5; children 12 and under, free. Activities include games, craftmaking and a magic show. Plants, baked goods, food and drink for sale. Tours of the Heritage Garden, Butterfly Trail and Blue Iguana Habitat. All proceeds will go to the new Children’s Garden. Email manager@botanic-park.ky for more details. THURSDAY, JAN. 24 ‘EDUCATING RITA’: Starting today and running until Saturday, Feb. 2, the Prospect Playhouse presents Willy Russell’s award-winning comedy “Educating Rita.” Jan. 24, 25, 26, 31 and Feb. 1 and 2. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Happy Hour at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students. Email boxoffice@cds.ky or visit www.cds.ky. FRIDAY, JAN. 25 BURNS SUPPER: A Burns Supper fundraiser for Jasmine, formerly known as Cayman HospiceCare, will be held at Grand Old House from 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person and include a cocktail reception, four-course dinner including haggis, wine and whisky. Dress is black tie – kilts and tartan are welcome. To reserve tickets, email info@jasmine.ky. SATURDAY, JAN. 26 TASTE OF CAYMAN: The annual food and drink festival will be held at Festival Green in Camana Bay. Find the best of Cayman’s diverse cuisines, local produce and drinks to match. Begins at 5 p.m. This year’s charity partner for the raffle is the National Council of Voluntary Organisations. TEA PARTY: Cayman Brac District Council of the National Trust presents an Octopus Tea Party from 6–11 p.m. at the Brac Trust House off Northside Road at the end of White Bay Road. Tickets CI$25 include entry, food, tea, entertainment and auction. For more information, contact 547-0892. SUNDAY, JAN. 27 STRIDE AGAINST CANCER: The annual Nationwide Stride Against Cancer 2019 will be held this morning at Seven Mile Public Beach. $25 early bird registration closes on Jan. 12. $30 standard rate from Jan. 13. No registration on the day. Race packets (T-shirts) can be collected from the Cancer Society office starting the week of Monday, Jan. 21. Sizes are limited to collect early. The Half Marathon, 13.1 miles, begins at 6 a.m. The Quarter Marathon, 6.5 miles, starts at 7 a.m. Gather for the big group start picture at 6:45 a.m. HATITUDE: The National Trust’s annual fundraiser, Hatitude, a fun family brunch, will take place at Grand Old House under the theme “Birds of the Caribbean.” 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $135 for adult members, $165 for adult non-members (includes 2019 membership of the National Trust), and $45 children (4 to 12 years old). MONDAY, JAN. 28 HEROES DAY: National holiday. BRAC RACE/RELAY: The Lions Club of Cayman Brac annual Corporate Cup Race/ Relay will be held at Stake Bay Loop. TUESDAY, JAN. 29 SCHOOLS CLOSED: Cayman Brac and Little Cayman schools closed for professional development. THURSDAY, JAN. 31 THATCH PLAITING: Community thatch plaiting class, 7-9 p.m. at the Heritage House, Cayman Brac. Cost $5. GENERAL INTEREST SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Be a volunteer for athlete training at Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. for track, bocce and football, and Thursdays, 5:30 p.m. for basketball. 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. 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. SEAFARERS HALL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association wishes to inform the community that the hall is now available for rent every day of the week, including Saturdays, as the church is no longer contracted with the association at 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. THRIFT SHOP: One Dog at a Time’s New To U shop is now located at JJT Warehouses, Row 2, Unit 2 on Industrial Way. Open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Variety of items available, including men’s, women’s, children’s and baby clothes, shoes, household, electrical items, CDs, DVDs, books, home furnishings, toys, games, furniture, baby cribs, car seats, dog beds and more. 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 Street. 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-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. For more information, email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition needed. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Swimmers get ready to take part in the 2016 CUC 800m Sea Swim. The next CUC swim starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday from Governors Beach. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 Carolina-based Entropy In- vestment Management, had advised the regulator that fi- nancially the plant “was not a successful investment.” OfReg said the project, which was built for US$9.7 million, with a budget overrun of US$2 million, gen- erated less energy than antic- ipated in its first year. Unfa- vorable weather conditions, inverter faults, software is- sues and dust on the panels meant that instead of the ex- pected 11.1 GWh, the project generated only 9.4 GW-hours. Nevertheless, the clean electricity helps Cayman avoid more than 4.2 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year and lowers costs for consumers, the regu- lator noted. In a press statement, BMR Energy said it is working toward “Richard Branson’s goal of accel- erating renewable energy adoption and building a cleaner, more resilient en- ergy future for the Carib- bean and Latin America.” The Virgin Group com- pany spent last year re- storing existing solar proj- ects that were damaged in the 2017 hurricane season and exploring new mar- kets for renewable energy in the region. BMR Energy currently has projects in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guatemala, Jamaica and now the Cayman Is- lands. They include a 4-MW solar facility in Spanish Town, St. Croix, purchased in June 2018, and a 36-MW wind farm in Jamaica, the largest private sector re- newable energy project in the country. matters under the condi- tion that Cayman’s gov- ernment would commit to instituting the required changes by the end of 2018. The EU specifically criti- cized Cayman for a lack of substance requirements in its legislation that could enable companies that have little or no economic ac- tivity in Cayman to attract substantial profits gener- ated elsewhere. The EU also urged Cayman to treat domestic companies and exempted companies, which typi- cally only operate out- side the islands, legally in the same way. It is expected that the EU will announce in Feb- ruary whether the legis- lative changes are suf- ficient to keep Cayman off the blacklist and avoid potential puni- tive measures. In New York, the pre- mier has been invited to speak at the Cayman Fi- nance Breakfast Seminar where he and the delega- tion will continue to pro- mote the Cayman Islands as a reliable and stable jurisdiction in which to do business. suspected deaths from the disease and two confirmed fatalities. Cayman had two imported cases of dengue fever reported during 2018. There were no reports of the disease being transmitted locally. But with the frequency of travel be- tween Cayman and other re- gions in the Caribbean where the disease is more promi- nent, residents need to be cautious, said Dr. Samuel Wil- liams-Rodriguez, acting chief medical officer for the Min- istry of Health. “At this moment, we have not experienced any new cases,” Dr. Williams-Rodriguez said. “But there’s definitely an outbreak in the region. We need to be proactive.” Officials, he said, regularly monitor the island and test for the presence of the disease. Dengue is a viral illness borne by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Symptoms of the disease include the acute onset of high fever and at least two of the following: Severe frontal headache; joint pain; pain behind the eyes; muscle and or bone pain; a rash may be visible two to five days after the onset of fever; nausea or vomiting. Signs of bleeding, such as pin- point red or purple spots on the skin, nosebleed, bleeding gums, blood in urine or stool, or vaginal bleeding, are seen in a severe form of dengue fever known as dengue hem- orrhagic fever, severe dengue or dengue shock syndrome. Dr. Williams-Rodriguez noted that there are four se- rotypes of the dengue virus. Those who are infected by serotypes 1 and 2, the most common, develop an immu- nity after fighting off the disease. However, if they en- counter serotype 3 (22 cases of that type were reported in Jamaica in 2018) they are at greater risk from the disease. Health officials said res- idents and visitors experi- encing symptoms of dengue after traveling to a country with established transmis- sion of dengue should imme- diately see a doctor and re- port their travel history. Those traveling to such countries should also take precautions against mosqui- toes such as wearing long sleeves, long pants and mos- quito repellent containing at least 50 percent DEET. Officials also urge people to eliminate potential mos- quito breeding grounds by turning over sources of standing water, such as old car tires or empty plant pots or containers, around their homes and other buildings. Jamaican Health Minister Christopher Tufton empha- sized that while that 2018 figure for reported cases, 830, was higher than re- ported cases in 2017, the numbers for 2016 were sub- stantially higher, with 2,297 cases reported. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Premier travels to US, Europe to discuss new legislation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Virgin subsidiary buys Cayman solar plant Jamaica’s health minister, Christopher Tufton, right, speaks at a recent press briefing to give an update on the dengue fever virus at the Ministry of Health’s corporate offices in New Kingston. Also pictured is the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dunstan Bryan. - PHOTO: JAMAICA INFORMATION SERVICE Maritime scholarship available Cayman Maritime and the Ministry of Education are offering scholarships for young Caymanians in order for them to get un- dergraduate, postgraduate or professional qualifica- tion in fields within the maritime industry. The scholarships cover a wide variety of disci- plines and careers, in- cluding craft inspectors, geology, map making (car- tography and hydrography), marine engineering, marine environmental protection, maritime law, naval archi- tecture, oceanography, ship management and registra- tion services, surveying, deck management, ca- tering/hospitality services, maritime administration, nautical studies and naval architecture. Consideration is also given to specialist areas that support the in- dustry, such as maritime legal services, human re- source management, ac- counting and IT, according to Cayman Maritime. “The Maritime Schol- arship is your ticket to an incredible and rewarding career in one of Cayman’s leading industries,” a press release from Cayman Mari- time stated. For more information on the Cayman Registry and the Maritime Scholarship, visit www.cishipping.com, email human.resources@cishipping.com or call 949-8831. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Jamaican epidemic sparks dengue fever concerns EU Medicines Agency shifts to Amsterdam AMSTERDAM (AP) – A gift of traditional Dutch wooden shoes kicked off the Eu- ropean Union Medicines Agency’s formal move from London to Amsterdam on Wednesday, a concrete consequence of Britain’s looming departure from the bloc. The process of uprooting hundreds of workers and transferring their lives across the North Sea appears, so far at least, to be going more smoothly than the Brexit divorce between Britain and the EU itself, although the medicines agency still expects to lose about a quarter of its 900 employees. As the agency’s Executive Director Guido Rasi was given the wooden shoes at a welcome ceremony in Amsterdam, British Prime Minister Theresa May was urging lawmakers in London to approve her plan to decouple Britain from the EU on March 29. A vote on Brexit is due in the British parliament next week, with most signs pointing to defeat for May’s plan and the possibility that Britain may leave the EU without an agreement in place to manage its unprecedented departure. Deal or no deal, the EMA is heading to Amsterdam. A purpose-built new headquarters for the agency is under construction in a business district on the southern edge of Amsterdam. In the meantime, the agency that evaluates, authorizes and monitors human and animal medicines for the EU is temporarily moving into an of- fice block near one of Amsterdam’s main railway stations. “Logistics is moving smoothly, ev- erything that has been planned seems to work,” Rasi said. “Of course it’s a big challenge, it’s a big change. We have to focus and reprioritize on the core busi- ness, but so far it’s going as planned.” The organization said last year it was scaling back some of its activities as the move approached. So far only a small group of workers have started pre- paring the new office for the move. Rasi and most of his staff still need to find housing and transfer their lives across the North Sea. With Britain leaving the EU, the agen- cy’s roughly 60 British staff are techni- cally no longer eligible to work at the agency, but Rasi said exceptions can be made and he expects about half of them to make the move. The other London-based EU agency, the European Banking Agency, is ex- pected to move its 160 staff to an office block in Paris in April. The Netherlands, which only won the right to host the EMA in a drawing of lots after a deadlocked vote, quickly rolled out the red carpet – setting up a special help desk at the agency’s current headquarters in London within days of the decision. Dutch experts helped workers with issues including housing options, put- ting their children in school, finding a doctor and learning Dutch. One of the trailblazers is Sophie Labbe, a 38-year-old French press officer who has already moved into a new home in Amsterdam with her husband and two young children. Her 4-year-old daughter is already enrolled in a French international school. Her 2-year-old son is too young for school and her husband is looking for work as a graphic designer. “We are very happy here,” Labbe said. “I still have to get used to cycling, which is OK … and we are in the process of trying to learn the language, of course!” In a sign of the looming Brexit, Italy’s Guido Rasi, director of the European Medicines Agency, left, gets a pair of wooden shoes from Dutch Health Minster Bruno Bruins during the official opening of the agency’s temporary headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday. – PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS Germany, France to sign new cooperation accord Germany and France are set to sign a new bilateral treaty pledging deeper cooperation between the two leading EU powers. Germany’s Cabinet on Wednesday gave the green light for Chancellor Angela Merkel to sign the agreement with French President Emmanuel Macron on Jan. 22. Trump makes public appeal for wall funds Source: Rosenstein expected to leave Justice in weeks WASHINGTON (AP) – Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosen- stein, who appointed special counsel Robert Mueller and remains his most visible Jus- tice Department protector, is expected to leave his posi- tion soon after William Barr is confirmed as attorney gen- eral, a person familiar with the plans said Wednesday. Barr, who served in the po- sition in the early 1990s and is President Donald Trump’s pick to do the job again, has a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Com- mittee next week and could be in place at the Justice Depart- ment as soon as February. Rosenstein plans to leave at some point after that, though no date has been set and there is no formal plan for the departure, according to the person, who was not authorized to discuss in- ternal conversations publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Rosenstein, a former United States attorney in Maryland, will have served as deputy for roughly two years by the time he leaves. Mueller is investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and contacts with the Trump campaign. Rosenstein and his chief deputy have con- tinued to maintain day-to-day oversight over the probe, a se- nior Justice Department offi- cial told reporters last month. Barr would take over con- trol of the investigation, as- suming the same final say over major investigative steps that acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has had since former Attorney Gen- eral Jeff Sessions was ousted in November. The White House cast Rosenstein’s departure as his choice. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday Rosenstein had always planned to stay around two years and wants to help with the transition to a new attorney general. “I don’t think there’s any willingness by the president or the White House to push him out,” Sanders told Fox News. “My guess is he is making room for the new attorney general to build a team that he wants around him.” Barr has told people close to him that he wanted his own No. 2. Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel in May 2017 to investigate potential coordination be- tween Russia and the Trump campaign to sway the 2016 election. The appointment followed the recusal of Ses- sions because of his work on the Trump campaign and Trump’s firing of former FBI director James Comey. The transition to Barr would come with critical steps in the Mueller investi- gation expected to unfold in the weeks and months ahead, when the special counsel’s office is expected to report its findings to the Justice Department. Barr has made critical comments of the Mueller in- vestigation in the past, in- cluding an unsolicited memo he sent the Justice Depart- ment last year critiquing Mueller’s investigation into whether the president had sought to obstruct justice by firing Comey. Barr is expected to face questioning from Democrats about his views of the Mueller investigation at next week’s hearing. At a news conference in December, Rosenstein said that Mueller’s investigation would be “handled appropri- ately” no matter who is over- seeing it. He said Barr would be an “excellent attorney gen- eral when he is confirmed.” Rosenstein’s job status has appeared tenuous at times, most notably in Sep- tember, when he showed up at the White House expecting to be fired over news reports that he had discussed se- cretly recording the presi- dent. But Trump opted not to replace him. WASHINGTON (AP) – Presi- dent Donald Trump urged congressional Democrats to fund his long-promised border wall Tuesday night in a somber televised ad- dress that was heavy with dark immigration rhet- oric but offered little in the way of concessions or new ideas to break the standoff that has left large swaths of the government shuttered for 18 days. Speaking to the nation from the Oval Office for the first time, Trump argued the wall was needed to resolve a security and humanitarian “crisis,” blaming illegal immi- gration for what he said was a scourge of drugs and vio- lence in the U.S. and asking: “How much more American blood must we shed before Congress does its job?” Democrats in response accused Trump appealing to “fear, not facts” and manufac- turing a border crisis for po- litical gain. Using the formal trap- pings of the White House, Trump hoped to gain the upper hand in the standoff over his demand for $5.7 bil- lion to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He plans a visit to the border Thursday as he continues to pitch what was a signature promise of his 2016 presiden- tial campaign. He addressed the nation as the shutdown stretched through its third week, with hundreds of thousands of fed- eral workers going without pay and some congressional Republicans growing in- creasingly jittery about the spreading impact of the im- passe. Trump will visit the Capitol on Wednesday to meet with Senate Republi - cans, and has invited Demo- cratic and Republican con- gressional leaders to return to the White House to meet with him later that day. He claimed the standoff could be resolved in “45 min- utes” if Democrats would just negotiate, but pre- vious meetings have led to no agreement. For now, Trump sees this as winning politics. TV net- works had been reticent about providing him airtime to make what some feared would be a purely political speech. And that concern was heightened by the deci- sion Tuesday by Trump’s re- election campaign to send out fundraising emails and text messages to supporters trying to raise money off the speech. Their goal: A half-mil- lion dollars in a single day. “I just addressed the na- tion on Border Security. Now need you to stand with me,” read one message sent out after his remarks. In their own televised re- marks, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of misrepresenting the situation on the border as they urged him to reopen closed government depart- ments and turn loose pay- checks for hundreds of thou- sands of workers. Negotiations on wall funding could proceed in the meantime, they said. Schumer said Trump “just used the backdrop of the Oval Office to manufacture a crisis, stoke fear and divert attention from the turmoil in his administration.” In his dire address, Trump ticked off a string of statistics and claims to make his case that there is a crisis at the border, but a number of his statements were misleading, such as saying the new trade deal with Mexico would pay for the wall, or suggesting through gruesome examples that immigrants are more likely to commit crime. Trump, who has long railed against illegal immi- gration at the border, has recently seized on human- itarian concerns to argue there is a broader crisis that can only be solved with a wall. But critics say the secu- rity risks are overblown and the administration is at least partly to blame for the hu- manitarian situation. Trump used emotional language, referring to Amer- icans who were killed by people in the country illegally, saying: “I’ve met with dozens of families whose loved ones were stolen by illegal immi- gration. I’ve held the hands of the weeping mothers and em- braced the grief-stricken fa- thers. So sad. So terrible.” The president often high- lights such incidents, though studies over several years have found immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than people born in the United States. Trump has been dis- cussing the idea of declaring a national emergency to allow him to move forward with the wall without getting congressional approval for the billions he’s requested. But he did not mention that Tuesday night. The partial government shutdown reached its 18th day, making the closure the second-longest in history. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are going without pay, and government disruptions are hitting home with everyday Americans. Trump was nearly halfway through his 9-minute ad- dress before he ever men- tioned the border wall, de- scribing it as a request from law enforcement rather than his own long-standing polit- ical pledge. He also suggested that his proposal to build the wall from steel, rather than concrete, was a concession to Democrats, although they do not see it that way. Trump sought to put the blame on Democrats for the standoff, saying they “will not fund border security.” In fact, House Democrats passed leg- islation the day they took control of the House that of- fered $1.3 billion for border security. And Senate Demo- crats have approved similar funding year after year. Seeking to keep up pres- sure on Trump and the Re- publicans, Pelosi said the House would begin passing individual bills this week to reopen some federal agen- cies, starting with the Trea- sury Department to ensure Americans receive their tax refunds. The administration says it will act on its own to ensure the refunds. Ahead of the speech, the White House sought to shore up GOP support on Cap- itol Hill, where a growing number of Republicans have been expressing unease with the extended shutdown. But GOP lawmakers were still raising concerns Tuesday, talking about disruptions in payments to farmers and troubles for home buyers trying to get government- backed mortgage loans. Vice President Mike Pence met privately with House Repub- licans, urging them to “stand strong” and insisting the White House wants to nego- tiate, according to people fa- miliar with the conversation. He also told the group that Trump will not retreat. “That pickup ain’t got reverse in it,” he said. The transition to Barr would come with critical steps in the Mueller investigation expected to unfold in the weeks and months ahead. U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein President Donald Trump speaks from the Oval Office of the White House as he gives a prime-time address about border security Tuesday in Washington. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS THURSDAY JANUARY 10, 2019 With Loving Memory of our beloved Astee Astor Alventine Range November 9, 1973 - January 10, 2010 Today is another year without you. 9 sad years, I miss you so much. Your smiling face, your voice calling me Dinie. It is so sad to miss a loving son like you. but I know one day I will see that smiling face, and hear that loving voice calling Mommy Dinie. Until God joins us together again, I’ll keep you in my heart always. My loving son, My heart aches for you. From your loving Mom (Dinie) Adina and the rest of your loving family and friends MACEDONIA LAWMAKERS IN FINAL DEBATE ON RENAMING COUNTRY SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) – Macedonian lawmakers were in the final stretch Wednesday of renaming their country North Mace- donia as part of a deal with neighboring Greece in re- turn for membership of NATO and potentially the European Union. The lawmakers were to debate essential constitu- tional amendments as part of the name change deal, which has met with vocif- erous opposition in both Macedonia and Greece. Op- ponents in both countries say the deal has made too many concessions to the other side. In spite of the opposi- tion in Macedonia, the con- stitutional changes were expected to be passed, with governing party officials in- dicating they had secured the required two-thirds majority in parliament. The center-right VMRO- DPMNE opposition party was to boycott Wednesday’s debate, party leader Hris- tijan Mickoski said, adding the party would be joining several hundred demon- strators outside parliament who were protesting the name change and calling it “national treason.” At least 80 lawmakers, or two-thirds majority of the 120-seat parliament, are needed for the consti- tutional changes to pass. Aleksandar Kiracovski, sec- retary general of the So- cial Democrats who heads the governing coalition, in- dicated the government has secured the required number of votes. “I have information that over 80 lawmakers have as- sured that Macedonia’s fu- ture is in NATO and the Eu- ropean Union, and this is conditioned by the ‘Prespa’ agreement and the con- stitutional changes,” Kira- covski said. The name deal with Greece was signed at Lake Prespa, which is on the border of Greece, Mace- donia and Albania, in June as a means of ending a de- cades-long dispute and un- blocking the country’s path toward NATO and the EU. Greece argues Macedo- nia’s name implies terri- torial claims on its own northern province of the same name, and on its an- cient Greek heritage. Showdown looms in clash over May’s Brexit deal LONDON (AP) – Britain’s gov- ernment and its lawmakers clashed Wednesday, as Prime Minister Theresa May brought her little-loved Brexit deal back to Parliament, a month after postponing a vote on the agreement to stave off near-certain defeat. The House of Commons opened five days of debate on an agreement with the Euro- pean Union setting out the terms of Britain’s departure from the bloc on March 29. A vote, initially slated for mid-December, is now scheduled for Tuesday – and the government still looks likely to lose. May insisted that her agreement was the only one available, and the only way to prevent a disruptive “no-deal” Brexit in just over 10 weeks. “The only way to avoid no deal is to vote for the deal,” May told lawmakers in the House of Commons. May called off the De- cember vote at the last minute when it became clear that a majority of lawmakers – from the governing Conser- vatives as well as opposition parties – opposed the deal, a compromise that has left both pro-European and pro- Brexit politicians unhappy. May promised to seek re- assurances from the EU on the most contentious issue, the status of the Northern Ireland-Ireland border. But the bloc refuses to re- open the agreement, and op- position to the negotiated deal remains strong among British lawmakers. May told lawmakers that “further clarification” from the EU was possible, “and those talks will continue over the next few days.” Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said “not one single dot or comma has changed” since December’s aborted vote. “Isn’t the prime min- ister bringing back exactly the same deal she admitted would be defeated four weeks ago?” he asked. Amid the political stale- mate, pro-Brexit members of Parliament are urging the government to ramp up prep- arations for leaving the EU without a deal. But many lawmakers, and businesses, say that would cause eco- nomic turmoil, as goods moving between Britain and the EU suddenly faced cus- toms checks, tariffs and other barriers. A group of lawmakers from both government and opposition parties is trying to assert Parliament’s au- thority and tie the govern- ment’s hands to prevent a no- deal Brexit. On Wednesday, the House of Commons voted to pre- vent the government delaying key decisions as Brexit ap- proaches. Lawmakers ap- proved a motion saying that if Parliament rejects the di- vorce deal May has agreed with the European Union, the government must come up with a “Plan B” within three days. The government previ- ously had 21 days to report back to Parliament. It was the government’s second Brexit-related defeat in two days. On Tuesday, leg- islators backed an amend- ment to the Finance Bill that puts roadblocks in the way of government spending on no- deal Brexit measures. The vote, which saw 20 legislators from May’s Conservative Party rebel and side with the opposition, in- dicates that a majority in Par- liament opposes leaving the EU without an agreement and will try to stop it happening. But there is no clear ma- jority for any single alternate course. Among the competing proposals are postponing Brexit to seek a new deal, calling a general election or holding a second EU mem- bership referendum. Labour said it would try to trigger an election by calling for a no-confidence vote in the government if May’s deal is defeated next week. There’s no guarantee Labour could marshal the majority support in Parlia- ment needed to topple the government – and even if it did, a new election would not automatically stop the Brexit countdown clock. Eurozone unemployment a bright spot amid growing gloom LONDON (AP) – Unemploy- ment across the 19-country eurozone fell in November to a decade-low rate, official fig- ures showed Wednesday, but worries over the economic outlook have stoked concerns it may not fall much lower, if at all. Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics agency, said a 90,000 monthly fall in the number out of work to 13.04 million reduced the overall rate to 7.9 per- cent from the previous month’s 8 percent. Unemployment across the eurozone has been falling steadily from a peak of 12.1 percent in 2013 as the region recovered from the global fi- nancial crisis. However, on- going worries about the level of government debt in a number of countries kept unemployment high, such as Greece and Spain. In recent days, evidence has been piling up that the eurozone recovery lost more momentum than anticipated at the end of 2018, particu- larly in Germany. And that could have an impact on busi- nesses’ hiring intentions. Un- employment is considered a lagging indicator in that it takes months for changes in the broader economy to feed through into the labor market. Bert Colijn, a senior econ- omist at ING, said the de- cline was a relief as “it indi- cates that uncertainty about the economic outlook and a slowing pace of growth has not caused employ- ment growth to grind to a halt just yet.” Colijn said there are signs though that firms are “ad- justing their employment needs downwards” and that could cause the unemploy- ment decline “to slow again in the months ahead.” Much of the outlook hinges on Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, which this week has suddenly, al- most from nowhere, become a concern. News that industrial pro- duction in Germany slumped by 1.9 percent in November has fueled concerns of a pos- sible recession. Since the German economy contracted by a quarterly rate of 0.2 percent in the third quarter of 2018 largely as a result of one-time factors related to new car emissions standards, another drop in the fourth-quarter drop would mean Germany will have entered a recession, defined as two straight quar- ters of negative output. Still, unemployment re- mains super-low in Ger- many at 3.3 percent, in sharp contrast to the rates still seen in those econo- mies that were at the fore- front of the eurozone’s debt crisis. Greece’s unemploy- ment rate, though sharply down from its peak, was still 18.6 percent in September. There are other clouds be- yond Germany hanging over the eurozone economy at the start of the new year. France, the eurozone’s No. 2 economy, is also facing dif- ficulties. The country’s statis- tics agency INSEE revealed Wednesday that consumer confidence plunged in De- cember to a four-year low largely as a result of the yellow vest protests that brought much of France, but particularly Paris, to a near-standstill in the crucial Christmas trading period. In addition, trade ten- sions between the U.S. and China have the potential to further weigh on a softer global economy while Brit- ain’s impending exit from the EU could be another negative hit particularly if the country crashes out of the bloc without a deal to smooth its transition to new trading arrangements. A pro-Brexit demonstrator holds up a placard, with anti-Brexit protesters in the background, as they voice their opinions Wednesday outside the Palace of Westminster in London. – PHOTO: AP Opponents to the change of the country’s constitutional name protest outside the parliament building prior to a session of the Macedonian Parliament in the capital Skopje, Wednesday. – PHOTO: APNext >