ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019 High of 83 Low of 73 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 LAW PASSED, PROBLEM SOLVED … NOT EVEN CLOSE LOCAL | PAGE 6 HIGH-END DOGGIE HOTEL OPENS IN GEORGE TOWN UK Parliament overwhelmingly rejects May’s Brexit deal LONDON (AP) – British lawmakers on Tuesday overwhelmingly re- jected Prime Minister Theresa May’s divorce deal with the Eu- ropean Union, plunging the Brexit process into chaos. The 432-202 vote in the House of Commons was widely expected but still devastating for May, whose fragile leadership is now under siege. Lawmakers finally got their chance to say yes or no to May’s deal after more than two years of political upheaval – and said no. It was the biggest defeat for a gov- ernment in the House of Commons in more than a century. The vote means further tur- moil for British politics only 10 weeks before the country is due to leave the EU on March 29. It is not clear if it will push the govern- ment toward an abrupt “no-deal” break with the EU, nudge it to- ward a softer departure, trigger a new election or pave the way for a second referendum that could re- verse Britain’s decision to leave. Moments after the result was announced — with Speaker John Bercow bellowing “the noes have it” to a packed Commons chamber — May said it was only right to test whether the government still had lawmakers’ support to carry on. Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn quickly obliged, saying May’s government had lost the confidence of Parliament. Lawmakers will vote Wednesday on his motion of no- confidence. If the government loses, it will have 14 days to overturn the result or face a na- tional election. May, who leads a fragile Con- servative minority government, has made delivering Brexit her main task since taking office in 2016 after the country’s decision to leave the EU. “This is the most significant vote that any of us will ever be part of in our political careers,” she told lawmakers as debate ended. “The time has now come for all of is in this House to make a decision, … a decision that each of us will have to justify and live with for many years to come.” But the deal was doomed by deep opposition from both sides of the divide over U.K.’s place in the bloc. Pro-Brexit lawmakers say the deal will leave Britain bound indefinitely to EU rules, while pro-EU politicians favor an even closer economic relationship with Europe. The government and opposi- tion parties ordered lawmakers to cancel all other plans to be on hand for the crucial vote. Labour legislator Tulip Siddiq delayed the scheduled Caesarean birth of her son so she could attend, arriving in a wheelchair. As lawmakers debated in the House of Commons chamber, out- side there was a cacophony of chants, drums and music from rival bands of pro-EU and pro- New piers will not impact storm dynamics, officials say The proposed new cruise pier will be able to with- stand severe weather con- ditions and will not exacer- bate flooding in George Town during extreme storms, ac- cording to officials leading the procurement process on the project. The Public Works De- partment Major Projects Of- fice released a statement Monday evening addressing public concerns following the nor’wester that pum- meled the capital just be- fore Christmas. Part of South Church Street had to be closed to traffic as pow- erful waves swept through the harbor, damaging coastal bars and restaurants as well as the Royal Watler pier. Officials said fears that the new facility would in- crease flooding risks in such instances were misplaced. The Chief Project Man- ager for the Major Proj- ects Office, Peter Ranger, said: “A wave overtopping study and flood risk assess- ment is being undertaken to ensure that flood risk to George Town for the areas to the north and south of the new development will be no greater than exists at present, and will be re- duced wherever possible. Therefore, the flood risk will Detained Cubans announce second hunger strike in year KEN SILVA AND KAYLA YOUNG ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Seven Cuban men and one woman held at the Im- migration Detention Centre are launching a hunger strike in protest of how gov- ernment is handling their asylum applications, ac- cording to a Cuban migrant familiar with the situation. Another Cuban asylum applicant, on supervised re- lease from the facility, said the protesters believe they have not had their legal rights properly explained to them, they have not received a fair asylum hearing, and they do not have access to channels of communication. Their main fear is being expatriated back to Cuba, one migrant participating in the protest told the Cayman Compass. They are asking that the director of the Prison Ser- vice, the director of the De- partment of Immigration, Governor Martyn Roper and the Human Rights Commis- sion tend to the situation. Eight Cubans in the group have recently had their asylum applications re- jected, according to the de- tainees. Several said that PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Prime Minister Theresa May, fourth from left, sits among MPs during debate over her Brexit deal in the House of Commons in London on Tuesday. - PHOTO: PA WIRE VIA AP2 REGIONAL NEWS WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 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. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) ON THE BASIS OF SEX (PG13) 2:50 I 9:40 ESCAPE ROOM (PG13) 1:55 I 4:30 I 7:25 I 10:00 MARY POPPINS RETURNS (PG) 12:50 I 3:50 I 6:45 I 9:45 AQUAMAN (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 3:45 I 6:35 VIP I 9:40 VIP A DOG’S WAY HOME (PG) 12:30 I 3:55 I 6:30 THE UPSIDE (PG13) 1:00 I 6:40 I 9:40 BUMBLEBEE (PG13) 1:00 I 3:55 VIP I 7:00 3D I 9:00 Trump’s Cuba policy hurts private sector, figures say HAVANA (AP) – President Donald Trump’s Cuba policy is driving millions of dollars from the island’s private en - trepreneurs to its state-run tourism sector, the opposite of its supposed goal, according to new government figures. Trump announced in June 2017 that he was tightening limits on U.S. travel to Cuba in order to starve military- linked travel businesses and funnel money directly to the Cuban people. He restricted Americans’ ability to travel to Cuba on their own, rather than with a tour group. At the same time, he allowed U.S. cruise lines to continue to take passengers to Cuba, where they pay millions to disembark at military-run docks and make quick trips onshore that are generally co- ordinated by government tour agencies that steer travelers to state-run destinations. Cuban government fig- ures from the first full year under Trump’s policy show occupancy of private bed- and-breakfasts in Havana plunged to 44 percent in 2018 after years at near capacity in the wake of President Barack Obama’s start of normaliza- tion with Cuba, said Michael Bernal, commercial director for the Ministry of Tourism. Even as the private sector suffered, U.S. travel to Cuba was growing, from 618,000 in 2017 to 630,000 last year, Tourism Ministry figures say. Most of those travelers came by ship, avoiding the confusing rules on travel to the island with package tours that are guaranteed to comply with the law. The shift to cruises meant the average U.S. stay on the is- land dropped from six days to three, said Jose Luis Perello, a former University of Havana professor who studies Cuba’s tourism industry. That has had a devas- tating effect on owners and employees of Cuba’s 24,185 private bed-and-breakfasts and 2,170 private restaurants known as paladares. They cherished U.S. travelers as heavy tippers who crammed days full of activities like classic car rides and cooking classes that put money into private hands. David Pajon, a univer- sity professor who bought an apartment to rent in Old Havana, said he has had to drop his rates and his income has fallen 40 percent since Trump’s new policy went into effect in 2017. He still was a third empty last month, the first time in three years that he was not fully booked in December. “U.S.-Cuba normalization inspired a lot of people who thought this was a good busi- ness to invest their savings in,” Pajon said. “And all of a sudden you have the U.S. gov- ernment creating a situation that has an impact on the number of people who came, or changes the way they’re coming – on cruise ships!” The Trump measures, which were backed by Cuban- American Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, ban U.S. travelers from doing business with tourism businesses under the mil- itary-linked conglomerate known as GAESA, which runs dozens of hotels and a major tour-bus line, among others. Instead, Americans are going to businesses run by the Tourism Ministry, but there is no reason to believe that Cuba has any difficulty transferring money within its highly cen- tralized single-party govern- ment, said Richard Feinberg, a Brookings Institution fellow and University of California, San Diego, professor of in- ternational political economy who studies Cuba. “Trump’s policies have reduced on-island, versus cruise ship, tourism and thus harmed B&Bs as well as other private tourism-related firms including paladares and taxistas,” Feinberg said. Beyond that, he said, “the only traceable impact of the Rubio sanction is to inconve- nience US tourists.” The number of U.S. trav- elers to Cuba grew from 162,000 in 2015, the year after Obama and then Cuban President Raul Castro an- nounced detente, to 284,000 in 2016 and 618,000 in 2017. The overall number of trav- elers grew, too, from 3.5 mil- lion in 2015 to 3.7 million in 2016, 4.3 million in 2017 and 4.7 million last year. Nonetheless, the private sector suffered. Enrique Nunez, owner of La Guarida, perhaps Ha- vana’s best-known restau- rant, said he had to cut his employees’ hours last year because his revenue fell 40 percent. “We don’t understand the U.S. rules,” said Bernal, the tourism official. “We heard the president’s speech saying that the U.S. government sup- ports entrepreneurs. How- ever, that’s the sector that’s suffering most in Cuba.” Board seeks to invalidate $6B worth of Puerto Rico’s debt SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – A federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico’s fi- nances is asking a court to invalidate more than $6 bil- lion worth of debt issued by the U.S. territory, a move that would hit bondholders. The board said late Monday the debt includes all general obligation bonds that were issued in 2012 and 2014 in “clear violation” of debt limits established by Puerto Rico’s Constitution. A group of unsecured creditors that joined the motion also said the debt violates balanced budget requirements because the money was used to fi- nance deficit spending. If a federal judge agrees with the allegations, bond- holders would lose their investments. The board’s findings comes after a lengthy investigation that began in September 2017 of all debt issued by Puerto Rico and its connection to the island’s current fiscal crisis. “This really is a mile- stone,” Puerto Rico econo- mist Jose Caraballo told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “It is perhaps the board’s best move in its two years of existence.” It is unclear when a judge would rule on the board’s motion, but Caraballo said it gives the government bar- gaining power, noting that Detroit made a similar move during its bankruptcy. He said those who bought general ob- ligation bonds during that time might accept a big cut instead of risking a total loss. Caraballo said the majority of them are hedge funds, not in- dividual investors. “It was a very specula- tive emission,” he said. “They ran the risk of lending to a government they knew was in trouble and ignored the margin established in the Constitution.” No government officials have been accused of is- suing debt above the limits established in Puerto Rico’s Constitution. The island’s now-defunct Government De- velopment Bank, which is- sued loans and oversaw debt transactions, ceased opera- tions in March amid a 12- year recession. Puerto Rico is trying to re- structure a portion of its more than $70 billion in public debt and a federal judge is scheduled to hold a two-day hearing within days on a major debt restructuring case involving bonds backed by a sales-and-use tax. Puerto Rico’s government announced in June 2015 that it was unable to repay its debts and declared a form of bankruptcy in May 2017. NEW MIGRANT CARAVAN SETS OUT FROM HONDURAS FOR U.S. SAN PEDRO SULA, Hon- duras (AP) – Hundreds of Hondurans trekked out of a violent northern city Tuesday, part of a new car- avan of migrants hoping to reach the United States or Mexico, following in the path of another group last year that U.S. President Donald Trump turned into a hot political issue during the U.S. midterm elections. The first groups of mi- grants left San Pedro Sula’s bus station Monday night, with many women and children boarding buses bound for the Guatemalan border while others started walking and hitchhiking under a steady rain. Others departed Tuesday morning trying to catch up. Some pushed toddlers in strollers or walked holding older children’s hands. More people continued to arrive at the bus station, making it likely the caravan’s num- bers could grow. Honduran media re- ported that the country’s authorities had reinforced the border with Guate- mala to make sure everyone had proper documentation. Children must carry pass- ports and written parental authorization to leave the country, and parents could face up to three years in prison if found to be taking a child without the right documents, Security Min- ister Julian Pacheco was quoted as saying. Jenny Arguello, a mi- grant rights’ activist who was with the caravan, said police patrols were not blocking them but were checking IDs. The latest caravan comes as Trump has been working to convince the American public that there is a “crisis” at the southern border to justify construc- tion of his long-promised border wall. Trump’s de- mand for billions of dol- lars to build the wall has resulted in a standoff with Congress that has forced a partial govern- ment shutdown. “A big new Caravan is heading up to our Southern Border from Honduras. Tell Nancy and Chuck that a drone flying around will not stop them. Only a Wall will work,” Trump tweeted Tuesday, referring to Demo- cratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer. Tourists ride a classic American convertible in Havana, Cuba. - PHOTO: AP U.S.-bound migrants walk along the roadside as they leave San Pedro Sula, Honduras, at dawn Tuesday. - PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019 More consultation planned on welfare reform JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com With the Public Accounts Committee poised to review an Auditor General’s report highlighting lack of action on welfare reform, officials have released details of plans for another round of consulta- tion on the issue. The Ministry of Commu- nity Affairs plans to speak with nonprofits and the public as it seeks to draw up new legislation and for- mulate a new plan for how public money is spent. The review will look at fi- nancial assistance programs, including poor relief and rental assistance. A comprehensive audi- tor’s report in 2015 found that Cayman’s various wel- fare programs had devel- oped in an ad hoc manner over several decades, lacked an overall strategy, and in some cases lacked under- pinning legislation. The re- port recommended govern- ment implement a proper, coordinated national strategy for spending on social assistance. In November 2018, the au- ditor general’s office released another report concluding that government had made little progress toward recti- fying the situation. That report will be re- viewed by the PAC on Wednesday and Thursday this week. In its response to the au- ditor’s concerns, the min- istry indicated it had formed a working group that was re- viewing data, statistics and research, including an out- line business case from 2017, with a view to formulating a social assistance strategy. On Monday, the ministry announced plans for its next review phase. Highlighting the appoint- ments of new Chief Officer Teresa Echenique and Deputy Chief Officer Andre Ebanks within the last year, it said the ministry had been under- going a thorough review of service provision. Needs Assessment Unit di- rector Tamara Hurlston, who chairs the working group, and director of the Department of Children and Family Services Paulinda Mendoza Williams are also involved in the review. The group has consulted internally with relevant gov- ernment ministries and agencies including Work- force Opportunities and Res- idency Cayman, the National Drug Council, the Family Resource Centre, the Sun- rise Adult Training Centre, Her Majesty’s Cayman Is- lands Prison Service and the Department of Community Rehabilitation. According to the press re- lease, the feedback from these meetings will go toward cre- ating a strategic plan. “Previous research re- ports and the aforemen- tioned initial consultations indicate that the types of services provided by the NAU are comparable to other jurisdictions and meet the needs of the public; how- ever,… more improvement can be realized in the de- livery of these services,” the release stated. Chief Officer Ms. Eche- nique encouraged the public and charitable sector to get involved. “The next round of con- sultations is a call-to-action to help shape future provi- sion by private citizens and other external stakeholders including charities,” she said. Email the Ministry of Community Affairs at mincays@gov.ky to contribute. GOV’T EMPLOYEE ARRESTED FOR GANJA AT AIRPORT Customs officers arrested a 35-year-old male returning to Cayman on Sunday for at- tempting to smuggle mari- juana into the country. The unidentified man is an em- ployee of the Department of Environmental Health, of- ficials said. The man was arrested at Owen Roberts International Airport when he attempted to pass through the green channel, where passengers within the duty-free allow- ance are allowed to proceed without a customs decla- ration form. Officers reportedly thought his behavior was sus- picious and stopped him for a secondary exam. The ganja was found during a search of his luggage, they said. Immigration and Cus- toms officials said about six pounds of ganja were recovered. “We again remind and urge persons to be honest about their declarations and ensure that they are not travelling with prohibited or restricted goods,” said Charles Clifford, collector of customs. “This latest arrest is an- other example of the con- sequences that can occur when persons attempt to go through the green channel with criminal intent.” Investigation into the inci- dent is ongoing. POLICE TROUBLED BY RASH OF DUI INCIDENTS A spate of DUI arrests in the past several days is alarming, police officials say. Since Friday, six people have been arrested for driving under the influence. Four of those had blood-al- cohol levels more than twice the legal limit. Four of the six arrests were made after drivers were stopped for other traffic vio- lations, including speeding. “We are alarmed at the level of inebriation of some of the drivers arrested this weekend, which makes a collision almost inevitable,” said Inspector Ian Yearwood of the Traffic and Roads Po- licing Unit in a statement. In one early Sunday morning incident, a woman, 28, was stopped just after midnight following a traffic collision on West Bay Road just south of Seven Mile Public Beach, between a BMW and a Honda Civic. The drivers were breath tested, and the woman, who had been driving the Civic, gave a reading of 0.277. The legal limit is 0.1. She was arrested for DUI and later granted bail. A comprehensive auditor’s report in 2015 found that Cayman’s various welfare programs had developed in an ad hoc manner over several decades, lacked an overall strategy, and in some cases lacked underpinning legislation.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 find their own way” “The greatest part of legislating is pontificating.” … Well, that is a maxim that emerges after taking note of the words of lawmakers almost everywhere (including the Cayman Islands), and comparing them with their actions. We imagine it is invigorating to stand up before one’s peers to deliver sweeping oratory about “cleaning house,” “raising standards,” “safeguarding the public trust,” and the like, and then to retake one’s seat amid general applause. But as the play “Hamlet” illustrates, soliloquies derive their power from the substantive behavior that ensues. Words move; actions matter. That is particularly true when the subject of parlia- mentary discussion is anti-corruption and promotion of good governance. The Cayman government’s failure to implement the Standards in Public Life Law since it was first passed in 2014 – either in its original or an amended form – speaks far more loudly than even the most micro- phone-enhanced proselytizer. As written and approved, but never enforced, the law requires elected politicians, senior government workers and government-appointed board members to disclose publicly their personal interests as a means of identifying potential conflicts. According to the Auditor General’s report on public corruption, released last Friday, “Until this law is in force, if conflicts of interest arise they might not be identified or dealt with appropriately, creating opportunities for corruption.” Being accountants, auditors general inhabit a realm of rules. If only there were some perfect codification – a golden rulebook – that by its mere existence would make the world orderly and neat. The messier truth is that even the best set of rules is only as effective as its interpretation and enforcement. If and when the government gets around to imple- menting Standards in Public Life provisions, the legisla- tion will be just as useless as it is today (or before it was passed), in the absence of mechanisms to identify and investigate violations, and the individual and political will to hold violators accountable. That being said, our lawmakers must recognize the troubling optics that arise from the appearance of hesita- tion – or reluctance – to activate legislation intended to fight corruption and promote good governance (specifi- cally among the legislators themselves). As the Auditor General’s report states, “The fact that the law is not yet in force may also affect public trust and lead to lack of integrity, transparency and accountability.” In other words, the public may not respond well to lawmakers’ message of “Do as we say we did, not as we actually did.” Currently, Cayman’s anti-corruption and account- ability network is complex, with entities in differing stages of maturation, enjoying various levels of funding, having overlapping areas of responsibilities and also exhibiting gaps in overall oversight. The practical effect is there is a growing list of cases “under investigation” and therefore “not open to public comment,” in areas ranging from the Turtle Centre, to the Cayman Islands Hospital, to immi- gration and more. Often, the public is left in the dark, not only about what is being investigated, but as to who is doing the investigating and what the status of the investi- gation is (active, pending, open, closed?). Setting aside the present morass, there is one non- governmental institution that has proven, over gen- erations, to be far more effective than government at exposing systemic wrongdoing and bringing account- ability to bear on the public and private sectors alike. We refer to, of course, journalism in general, and newspapers in particular, such as the one you are reading right now. If you want to know what’s going on in Cayman’s com- munity – good news, bad news and in between – keep your eye on Page One, and then read the rest of the Compass all the way through. Law passed, problem solved … Not even close WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS In a recent interview early this year, the Hon Ezzard Miller again rightly expressed his dissatisfaction with legis- lation that is enacted by the legislative assembly but not brought into force. He spe- cifically mentioned the Stan- dards in Public Life Law. This law was gazetted on March 10, 2014, after assent, but to date has not come into force. This is not a new problem of course. In my own appearance on a local radio show some months ago, I cited about 12 pieces of legislation, including the standards law, which are not yet in force. The Children Law, which is now in force, also took a long time before it was made operational. Lack of necessary finance and other administrative ar- rangements are often cited for such delays. There can be no doubt that some of these de- lays are genuine while others are occasioned by ulterior mo- tives. Specifically in relation to the standards legislation, the government has high- lighted the provisions of that law which will require mem- bers of government boards to disclose property and connec- tions that may cause a con- flict of interest. It is said that many people are not willing to serve under such an intrusive regime. To try and address this and other issues, the law was amended in 2016, but the legislation as a whole has not been brought into force. The problem exists largely because in new legislation (as opposed to amending legisla- tion, which generally comes into force upon being gazetted) the general practice in Cayman [is] to grant Cabinet power to name a date when a law is to come into force. No time limit is set and there is no default which can automatically bring the law into force if Cabinet decides to take its sweet time. Cayman therefore needs a real solution. Litigation is not feasible because it is expen- sive and, more importantly, any person who takes up this mantle is likely to face the usual consequences. Even if someone were to be brave enough to take the risk, the proceedings are likely to fail. Courts in the U.K., Canada, Australia and elsewhere have refused to compel a govern- ment to bring into force leg- islation. They have insisted this must remain a polit- ical decision. To address this issue, some countries have a gen- eral rule that legislation brought to the legislative as- sembly must contain a date on which it is expected to come into force. If Cabinet or other relevant authority is to be given the authority to bring it into force, the gov- ernment has to make a spe- cial case acceptable to the as- sembly. Even if an acceptable case is made, there is often legislation of general applica- tion by which, if Cabinet does not bring it into force, the leg- islation automatically comes into force on the first anni- versary of its passing. Other countries at least require the Attorney General to make an annual report to the legisla- tive assembly on laws which have come into force or not come into force, stating why the latter are still pending. Years ago, when I was in government, I developed a one-day course on Cayman’s legislative process and of- fered to teach it pro bono in government. The course not only describes the system in Cayman but also incorpo- rates practices in other coun- tries. Indeed, such courses are common elsewhere. The chief officers approved the course but the political directorate opposed it and it was never taught at the time. My attempt to obtain permission to teach it part-time with a local Cay- manian-owned company was opposed by the government so much so that when I brought judicial review proceedings to challenge the refusal, they hired a highly-priced QC from the U.K. to oppose me. I have taught it more than once since leaving government. If it had been widely taught, the course would have helped make the legislative system more efficient and account- able. Meanwhile, the govern- ment persists in systemati- cally limiting the knowledge available to civil servants and the public, continuing to per- fect its timeless political art of seeming to be accountable. Bilika Simamba Attorney and former Cayman government senior legislative counsel LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Bringing laws into force should not be left to Cabinet To address this issue, some countries have a general rule that legislation brought to the legislative assembly must contain a date on which it is expected to come into force. Totally ridiculous, McK- eeva Bush’s calling for 50- story buildings on Cayman’s beachfronts (“Speaker calls for 50-story buildings on Seven Mile Beach,” Jan. 3)! Surely Mr. Bush is aware that the Cayman Islands are located upon the Cayman Trench (aka Bartlett Deep, Bartlett Trough) which is 7,500 me- ters deep (25,217 feet deep). The Cayman Abyss is the geo- graphic and geologic tectonic boundary between the North American and the Caribbean Plates. Fifty-story buildings in Cayman would fall like dominoes in an earthquake or Category 5 hurricane. Mr. Bush, read “The Sixth Ex- tinction”, the Pulitzer Prize- winning book by E. Kolbert. Skyscrapers aren’t needed on Cayman waterfront! Nan Socolow Say no to 50 stories5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019 One Honeywell Lynx touch wireless residential/ commercial security alarm panel with 4.3” full colour touchscreen display Three wireless door/window contacts (white) One Honeywell pet immune motion sensor (up to 40Lbs.) One 4 button remote keychain Full installation and demonstration 12 months parts warranty WIFI module for the mobile Apps. Honeywell Lynx Intruder Alarm Package Includes: The Honeywell intruder system is linked to our 24/7 monitoring centre to keep your family and your property safe. Upon system activation our experienced monitoring station staff will handle the situation. The Total Connect app allows you complete control of your security system from your mobile device. To find out more about this special offer contact the Security Centre on 949-0004 or email info@security.ky *The free alarm system and installation is available to new clients when signing up for a 12 month monitoring contract ($660 residential - $860 commercial). 24/7 Alarm Monitoring Secure and protect your property with the Honeywell Lynx intruder protection system. Controllable from your mobile device. Red Cross Thrift Shop relocates The Cayman Islands Red Cross Thrift Shop has a tem- porary new home. The shop moved from its original location at the Red Cross Headquarters on Huldah Avenue due to renovations being done to the building, which also serves as the Red Cross hurricane shelter. The new location, at Cannon Place, 284 North Sound Road, unit 130, is ready for shoppers. “We are so excited about our new shop,” said Remy Im- perial, manager of the Thrift Shop. “Since renovations on our building began, we’ve operated out of our Deals on Wheels Community Out- reach Trailer, at the Farmers Market, and even held some sales on the Cricket field. We are so pleased to finally wel- come our loyal customers to the new shop, where they can truly enjoy their shopping experience.” Ms. Imperial said the Thrift shop will remain at Cannon Place until the end of May, when renovations will be completed at the Red Cross building. Currently, the shop hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The shop is closed on Sun- days and Mondays. Ms. Imperial says the tran- sition from the headquarters location to the new home has been a smooth one, with the help of Red Cross volunteers. In addition, CIBC First Ca- ribbean International Bank made a donation of $5,000, which went toward pur- chasing shopping bags and baskets as well as installing lockers for shop volunteers in the renovated building. Members of the public are encouraged to continue making donations and drop- offs at the headquarters on Huldah Avenue. Pick up times are Tuesdays and Thurs- days, 5-7 p.m. The Thrift Shop Commu- nity Outreach Program serves the community by offering new and gently used items, ranging from clothing and shoes, to furniture, appliances and other household items, which are all donated by members of the community. The shop is also the most popular service pro- vided by the Red Cross, with over 15,000 cus- tomers served in 2018 alone, according to Ms. Imperial. She said they also work closely with a number of gov- ernment departments and agencies, and non-govern- mental agencies that refer their clients and beneficiaries to the Thrift Shop services. These range from people af- fected by fires to vulner- able families. To assist the Thrift Shop Community Outreach Program or to coordinate large item donations and pick-ups, contact the Thrift Shop Manager Remy Imperial at 916-8954. Visitor jailed for importing ganja CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A frequent visitor to Cayman was sentenced to six months imprisonment on Tuesday after pleading guilty to importing six ounces of ganja into the Cayman Islands. Garfield Ainsley Spence, 24, initially told authorities he had a prescription for medical marijuana when he brought it to the island on Oct. 27. How- ever, Crown counsel Scott Wainwright advised that Mr. Spence did not have such a prescription with him at the time and the Crown was never made aware of any. He said a customs officer at the airport smelled ganja when speaking with Mr. Spence and a search revealed a heat-sealed bag in the de- fendant’s backpack. Mr. Wainwright said the defendant worked as a ramp agent for an airline that comes to Cayman and did not have to purchase tickets: he visited often because he had relatives here. Defense attorney Crister Brady told Magistrate Valdis Foldats that his client had lost his employment as a result of this offense. He had also dis- appointed family members in the U.S. and here, so that rela- tionships were now strained. The basis for Mr. Spence’s guilty plea was that the ganja was to have been forwarded to another person; it was not for personal use. “This is an offense the court does not understand,” the magistrate said to the de- fendant. “You had a good job. You’re a family man …. what made you decide to do this, I don’t know.” He pointed to the planning involved in the offense – sourcing the drug in the U.S., deciding how to import it, arranging someone to give it to on ar- rival in Cayman. The magistrate pointed out that Mr. Spence’s of- fending was almost a breach of trust because he had used his employment to facilitate the importation. He had also claimed that ganja was legal in his home state, but that was not true. The magistrate said there had to be a term of im- prisonment to send a mes- sage to persons who might be tempted to commit the same kind of offense. For six ounces, the starting point would be one year, but credit for the defendant’s previous clean record reduced that to nine months. Then a one- third discount for his guilty plea resulted in a sentence of six months. The defendant has been in custody since his arrest, and is to receive credit for that time. Thrift Shop volunteers Rosalie Johnson, left, Nola Cooper and Martha Melendez sort clothes at the shop’s new, temporary home at Cannon Place. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY6 LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS High-end doggie hotel opens in George Town SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com This doggie hotel is fit for the best in show. The Cay 9 Resort & Spa, helmed by Prentice Panton and Martin and Claudia Pilat, opened late in December and aims to offer Grand Cayman’s first boutique dog-boarding experience. The Pilats have experi- ence in the restaurant and hospitality industries, and they hope to offer a high-end boarding service akin to a five-star doggie hotel. There are no cages at the Cay 9 Resort & Spa, and each dog room is fronted by a glass wall and features a camera that allows owners to peek in. “We love dogs and this is how we show it,” said Mrs. Pilat, who previously worked at The Ritz-Carlton. “We want to treat them super nice. They’re not just here. There’s always an activity for them. We know their names. We want to give The Ritz-Carlton service but at a very afford- able price.” The facility, located right behind the Foster’s IGA near the airport, boasts grooming and training services on the same premises as the first dog-only swimming pool on the island. The Pilats visited several dog boarding facili- ties in the United States that informed the things they’d prioritize here. The outdoor yard, for in- stance, features 2,000 square feet of artificial grass and a drainage system that allows the dogs to relieve them- selves wherever they want. The artificial grass surface is cleaned on a daily basis, and the yard is encircled by a six- foot fence that is reinforced by wood and concrete. “It’s like Alcatraz,” said Mr. Pilat of the fenced-in yard. “If you bring your dog here, it cannot come home dirty. We don’t have any dirt here. It’s only artificial grass and tiles. Even if it rains, it cannot get dirty.” This week, the Cay 9 Re- sort & Spa is playing host to a special guest from the Cayman Islands Humane So- ciety. Leah, a 2-year-old dog that recently had 12 puppies, has her pampered run of the resort during the day and sleeps in the building’s Presi- dential Suite at night. The Pilats have adopted three dogs from the Humane Society during their time in Cayman and they hope they can help the charity by fostering one dog a week and aiding in the adop- tion process. “The first dog that en- joyed the facilities at Cay 9 Resort & Spa was Rodney, a very relaxed, easy going dog who loved being there,” said Saskia Salden of the Humane Society. “This week Leah is the lucky dog. She recently had 12 puppies, so definitely could use a nice break and some pampering.” That pampering is having the desired effect. A Cayman Compass reporter visited the spa on Tuesday and found Leah frolicking in the pool and running around the ex- panse of the fenced-in yard. All dogs must undergo a behavioral assessment be- fore staying at the Cay 9 Re- sort & Spa, and Mr. Pilat said that his trainer, Richard Opis, previously worked as a trainer for military dogs in the Philippines. The operating procedures of the spa are still being worked out, but Mr. Pilat said they keep the dogs segregated by size. Small dogs are in one room and big dogs are in an- other, and when one group of dogs uses the yard, the other group of dogs is left to play in their indoor playroom. “Dogs don’t have lawyers. They argue with their teeth,” Mr. Pilat said. “We don’t want to have a crocodile and a horse running around. But for grooming, you can bring the crocodile and the horse too.” Each dog room has a Kuranda bed – dubbed “the Ferrari of dog beds” by Mr. Pilat, and he’s aiming to set up a system in which dog owners can Facetime with their pets. Pet owners can al- ready check in on their pets via several on-site cameras at the company’s website, and they can also enter all their inoculation histories and make reservations online as easily as they could purchase an item on EcayTrade. Everybody pitches in at the pet resort. Mrs. Pilat works the front desk, and Mr. Pilat, who recently worked as the sommelier at the West Indies Wine Com- pany, has been logging extra- long hours as the night shift manager, tending to the dogs and making sure they are OK late at night. “He’s literally in the dog house,” Mr. Panton said. Mr. Panton, the proprietor of Liquor for Less, owns the real estate that the pet resort is settled on, and the facility previously served as a ware- house. It underwent a face- lift in order to house more than 30 dogs at a time, and Mr. Panton joked about the initial idea for building a doggie pool. “When I was installing it,” he said, “my wife said, ‘You’re building a pool for dogs but not for us?’” For more information, visit www.cay9resort.com. Panton supports referendum ‘if they get the numbers’ Former environment minister also defends conservation law JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former Environment Min- ister Wayne Panton says he supports the democratic right of campaigners to seek a referendum on the contro- versial cruise port plan. Mr. Panton first made the comments on Rooster 101.9 FM’s morning Cross- Talk show, saying he under- stood the concerns around the dock plan and sup- ported the constitutional right of campaigners to try to trigger a referendum. In a later interview with the Cayman Compass, Mr. Panton stopped short of in- dicating personal backing for a referendum, saying, “I am not going down that slope at this point.” He said he had been in- tending to convey support for the mechanism within the constitution that allows the people to trigger a national vote on issues of impor- tance if they can raise sup- port from over 25 percent of the electorate. The campaign group Cruise Port Refer- endum Cayman has been col- lecting signatures since Au- gust in an effort to reach the required threshold. “It is a democratic pro- cess. If they can get sufficient numbers of people to trigger it, then I support the right of the electorate to exercise that power,” Mr. Panton told the Compass. He said he does not be- lieve that a referendum would necessarily be a bad thing for government. “It may very well strengthen government’s po- sition that they have [a] man- date to go ahead,” he added. “It is not something the government is necessarily in control of. They have to look at the potential benefits it may bring in terms of clarifying the perception of the voters. It may take a bit of time and cost a bit of money, but it is a part of the of the democratic process and I think there are potential benefits to govern- ment. They shouldn’t see it as a lose-lose situation.” He said he was not specif- ically advocating for a refer- endum on this issue. “I am not saying one way or another in relation to that, but I do un- derstand the motivation. “I support the provisions of the constitution and the right for the people of the country to seek to trigger a referendum on issues like that.” Mr. Panton, the former en- vironment and financial ser- vices minister, ran with the Progressives at the last elec- tion, losing his seat to Inde- pendent Al Suckoo in New- lands. He is still a member of the PPM and has also spoken out in support of the efforts the government is making to comply with international regulations in the financial services industry. Mr. Panton differs from some of his former colleagues in his views on the National Conservation Law, how- ever. Despite some criticism of that legislation, including from members of the current government, he still believes that it is a landmark piece of legislation of which the gov- ernment should be proud. He said it was a myth that the legislation had slowed down development, citing statistics from the plan- ning department that show record numbers of devel- opment approvals over the last few years. Wayne Panton The doggie rooms at the Cay 9 Resort & Spa all feature cameras so pet owners can check in on their dogs, and all of the rooms have a glass wall as opposed to a caged-in entrance. Claudia Pilat, left, trainer Richard Opis, Martin Pilat and Prentice Patton pose with Leah, who is up for adoption at the Humane Society. Leah, seen here with dog trainer Richard Opis, is enjoying a week of pampering at the Cay 9 Resort & Spa. - PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019 not increase as a result of the new cruise berthing and cargo development. “In the footprint of the new development, wave walls have been incorporated into the de- sign that don’t exist at present, to reduce wave overtopping and flooding in the cargo and cruise area in extreme weather conditions, which will also protect central George Town.” The statement also indicated that while the new piers will be better equipped to safely wel- come ships in rougher weather than is currently the case, no ship would dock at the new piers in the extreme conditions witnessed last month. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 they did not trust their ap- plications had been properly considered and that they did not fully understand their rights in the Cayman Islands. The detained Cubans started protesting last Thursday, standing in the yard of the Immigration De- tention Centre and holding signs with slogans such as “We are not immigrants, we are refugees” and “We want a fair process.” According to the Cuban who spoke with the Compass on Thursday, the migrants were warned by prison guards that a hunger strike could complicate their cases, creating fear of deportation among the group. However, the hunger strike was announced on Tuesday after detention center offi- cers allegedly searched the detainees’ premises and con- fiscated their cellphones, ac- cording to the Cuban, who said the officers want to si- lence the detainees. “Today more than 15 prison officials did an ex- haustive search to take away our cellphones and they cut the land lines. They want to shut us up,” the Cuban said. When a Compass reporter attempted to call the deten- tion center land line Tuesday, the call went unanswered. The public protest at the Immigration Detention Centre is the second one held there in the last six months. In July, nine Cubans launched a hunger strike in response to their prolonged detention at the immigration center. At the time, five men in the center had been detained for more than two years. Six others had been detained for more than one year. Later in 2018, the Cubans were re- leased from the detention center under government su- pervision while their asylum applications were considered. However, some of them were returned to the center be- cause of issues with finding housing for them. One Cuban from the group on supervised release was granted asylum last week. The Compass understands this was the first asylum case granted this year. Government has not pro- vided updated numbers on asylum cases granted or the number of Cubans currently in detention, and did not issue a statement in response to the protest before this ar- ticle’s press deadline. New piers will not impact storm dynamics, officials say CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Detained Cubans announce second hunger strike in year Brexit protesters. One group waved blue-and- yellow EU flags, the other brandished “Leave Means Leave” placards. May postponed a vote on the deal in December to avoid certain defeat, and there were few signs ahead of Tues- day’s vote that sentiment had changed significantly since then. The most contentious sec- tion of the deal is an insur- ance policy known as the “backstop” that is designed to prevent the reintroduction of border controls between the U.K.’s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland. Assurances from EU leaders that the backstop is intended as a temporary measure of last resort com- pletely failed to win over many British skeptics, and the EU is adamant that it will not renegotiate the 585-page withdrawal agreement. Arlene Foster, who leads Northern Ireland’s Demo- cratic Unionist Party – May’s parliamentary ally – said her party voted against the deal because of the backstop. “We want the PM to go back to the EU and say ‘the backstop must go,’” Foster said. Parliament has given May until Monday to come up with a new proposal. So far, May has refused pub- licly to speculate on a pos- sible “Plan B.” Some Conservatives ex- pect her to seek further talks with EU leaders on changes before bringing a tweaked version of the bill back to Parliament, even though EU leaders insist the agreement cannot be renegotiated. European Commis- sion president Jean-Claude Juncker returned Tuesday to Brussels to deal with Brexit issues arising from the vote, amid signals May might be heading back to EU head- quarters on Wednesday. An EU official, who asked not to be identified because of the developing situation, said that it was “Impor- tant that he is available and working in Brussels during the coming hours.” May had argued that re- jecting the agreement would lead either to a reversal of Brexit – overturning voters’ decision in the 2016 refer- endum – or to Britain leaving the bloc without a deal. Econ- omists warn that an abrupt break from the EU could batter the British economy and bring chaotic scenes at borders, ports and airports. Business groups had ap- pealed for lawmakers to back the deal to provide certainty about the future. Mike Hawes, chief execu- tive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said parliamentarians “hold the future of the British au- tomotive industry – and the hundreds and thou- sands of jobs it supports – in their hands.” “Brexit is already causing us damage in output, costs and jobs, but this does not compare with the cata- strophic consequences of being cut adrift from our big- gest trading partner over- night,” he said. Amid the uncertainty, some members of Parlia- ment from both government and opposition parties are exploring ways to use par- liamentary procedures to wrest control of the Brexit process away from the gov- ernment, so that lawmakers by majority vote could specify a new plan for Brit- ain’s EU exit. UK Parliament overwhelmingly rejects May’s Brexit deal CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 NETFLIX RAISES PRICES FOR 58M U.S. SUBSCRIBERS AS COSTS RISE SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Net- flix is raising its U.S. prices by 13 percent to 18 percent, its biggest increase since the company launched its video streaming service 12 years ago. Its most popular plan will see the largest hike, to $13 per month from $11. That option offers high-def- inition streaming on up to two different internet-con- nected devices simultane- ously. Even at the higher price, that plan is still a few dollars cheaper than HBO, whose streaming ser- vice charges $15 per month. The extra cash will help to pay for Netflix’s huge in- vestment in original shows and films and finance the heavy debt it has assumed to ward off rivals such as Amazon, Disney and AT&T. While subscribers may bemoan a bigger monthly bill Wall Street cheered, sending shares up more than 6 percent in midday trading. This marks the fourth time that Netflix has raised its U.S. prices; the last hike came in late 2017. But this is the first time that higher prices will hit all 58 mil- lion U.S. subscribers, the number Netflix reported at the end of September. Previously, Netflix had continued to offer a basic, $8-a-month streaming plan while raising rates on more comprehensive plans with better video quality and op- tions to watch simultane- ously on different devices. This time, the price for the cheapest plan is going up to $9 per month. A pre- mium plan offering ultra- high definition will jump to $16 per month from $14. The new prices will im- mediately affect all new subscribers and then roll out to existing cus- tomers during the next three months. Customers in about 40 Latin America countries where Netflix bills in U.S. currency will also be affected, excepting key international markets such as Mexico and Brazil. Netflix had nearly 79 million subscribers outside the U.S. as of September. Higher prices could alienate subscribers and possibly even trigger a wave of cancelations. Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May leaves a cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London, ahead of Tuesday’s Brexit vote. - PHOTO: APThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Russia: No progress in nuke pact dispute Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov says consultations with his American counterpart, U.S. Undersecretary of State Andrea Thompson, made no progress in resolving the United States’ intention to withdraw from a nuclear arms treaty. White House shifts shutdown strategy, hopes to bypass Pelosi Extremists attack upscale hotel complex in Nairobi NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Ex- tremists attacked a luxury hotel in Kenya’s capital Tuesday, sending people fleeing in panic as explosions and heavy gunfire reverber- ated through the complex. A witness reported seeing at least two bodies. Al-Shabab – the Somalia- based extremist group that carried out the 2013 West- gate Mall attack in Nairobi that left 67 people dead – claimed responsibility and said its members were still fighting inside. Several vehicles burned. People were rushed, some carried, from the scene. At least one was on a stretcher. Some ducked behind cars, screaming. Others appeared to take cover behind foun- tains and other features at the lush complex, which in- cludes the DusitD2 hotel, along with bars, restaurants, banks and offices. “It is terrible. What I have seen is terrible. I have seen a human as I ran out and there is what looks like minced meat all over,” said one man who ran from the scene, Charles Njenga. What appeared to be plainclothes security forces inched their way toward the scene, guns in hand. “We have sent officers to the scene, including from the anti-terrorism unit, but so far we have no more infor- mation,” police spokesman Charles Owino said. It was not clear how many attackers took part. A witness, Robert Mu- rire, said he saw at least two bodies at the scene, along with attackers wearing green and wrapped in ammunition. The attack came a day after a magistrate ruled that three men must stand trial on charges they were in- volved in the Westgate Mall siege. A fourth suspect was freed for lack of evidence. Gunfire continued sev- eral minutes after the first reports as ambulances, se- curity forces and firefighters rushed to the scene. Black smoke rose from the com- plex. A bomb disposal unit arrived, and vehicles were cordoned off for fear they contained explosives. Police said they detonated a car that had explosives in- side. An unexploded grenade was also seen in a hallway at the complex. A large group of women were hurried out by secu- rity forces, one woman still in curlers. Dozens of others were hurried away as plain- clothes officers went shop to shop in the complex. Some people held up their hands to show they were unarmed. Al-Shabab has vowed ret- ribution against Kenya for sending troops to Somalia since 2011. The al-Qaida- linked group has killed hun- dreds of people in Kenya, which has been targeted more than any other of the six countries providing troops to an African Union force in Somalia. The attack immediately reminded many Kenyans of the Westgate Mall attack, when al-Shabab extremists burst into the luxury shop- ping center, hurling gre- nades and starting a days- long siege. The hotel complex in Nai- robi’s Westlands neighbor- hood is less than 2 kilome- ters from Westgate Mall and is in what is considered one of the most secure areas of the city. It lies on a relatively quiet, tree-lined road near a main avenue. Its website says it is “cocooned away from the hustle and bustle in a secure and peaceful haven.” The attack came three years to the day after al- Shabab extremists attacked a Kenyan military base in So- malia, killing scores of people. WASHINGTON (AP) – Shifting strategy, the White House in- vited rank-and-file House Democrats to lunch Tuesday with President Donald Trump, bypassing Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her lead- ership team in an effort to get centrist and freshman lawmakers on board with funding Trump’s long-prom- ised U.S.-Mexico border wall. Pelosi approved of law- makers attending the meeting, telling her team that the group can see what she and others have been dealing with in trying to negotiate with Trump to end the partial government shutdown, now in its 25th day with no reso- lution in sight. Pelosi predicted that after meeting with Trump the law- makers will want to make a “citizen’s arrest,” according to the aide, who wasn’t autho- rized to publicly discuss the meeting and spoke on condi- tion of anonymity. Lawmakers invited to the White House include centrist Democrats from districts where Trump is popular, in- cluding freshmen. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., said he attended a meeting of fellow centrist Demo- crats on Monday night and that a handful of members, most of whom represent dis- tricts Trump carried in 2016, were invited. The White House has not released a guest list. Rep. Jim Himes of Con- necticut, another centrist Democrat, said the White House is “grasping at straws.” “The majority of Amer- icans understand exactly what is happening here,” he said. “The president could open the government to- morrow and he refuses to. We’re very conscious of the fact that this is a bully and when you allow him to suc- ceed by holding the govern- ment hostage you can expect to see that play run again.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor that it’s up to Democrats to get the country off the “political carousel” of the shutdown fight. The Ken- tucky Republican said Dem- ocrats have turned Trump’s wall into “something evil” and have engaged in “acro- batic contortions” to avoid dealing with the security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border. With the government shutdown now in its fourth week, negations between the White House and Congress are at a standstill. Trump has demanded $5.7 billion for the border wall; Democrats are refusing but are offering money for fencing and other border security measures. Trump has rejected a short-term legislative fix and dug in for more combat, de- claring he would “never ever back down.” The president also edged further away from the idea of trying to declare a national emergency to cir- cumvent Congress. “I’m not looking to call a national emergency,” Trump said Monday. “This is so simple we shouldn’t have to.” Congressional Republi- cans were watching Trump for a signal for how to move next, and Democrats have not budged from their re- fusal to fund the wall and their demand that he reopen government before border talks resume. House Democrats plan to hold votes this week on leg- islation this week that would reopen the government into February, but Republicans are rejecting those bills out of hand. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called the votes “political theater” and said the legislation will not pass the Senate. In addition to the White House outreach to centrist House Democrats, about a dozen senators from both parties met Monday to dis- cuss ways out of the shut- down gridlock. Participants included Graham and Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Tim Kaine, D-Va. Sen. John Cornyn, R- Texas, McConnell was aware of the group’s effort but added, “I wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s blessed it.” The odds of the group producing a solution without Trump’s approval seemed slim. Meanwhile, the effects of the 25-day partial govern- ment closure were intensi- fying around the country. Some 800,000 federal workers missed paychecks Friday, deepening anxieties about mortgage payments and unpaid bills, and about half of them were off the job, cutting off some services. Travelers at the Atlanta air- port, the nation’s busiest, dealt with waits of more than an hour Monday as no-shows by security screeners soared. Trump spent the weekend in the White House tweeting aggressively about Demo- cratic foes as he tried to make the case that the wall was needed on both security and humanitarian grounds. He stressed that argument repeatedly during Monday’s speech at a farming conven- tion in New Orleans, insisting there was “no substitute” for a wall or a barrier along the southern border. Trump has continued to insist he has the power to sign an emergency declara- tion to deal with what he says is a crisis of drug smuggling and trafficking of women and children at the border. But he now appears to be in no rush to make such a declaration. Instead, he is focused on pushing Democrats to re- turn to the negotiating table – though he walked out of the most recent talks last week. White House officials cau- tioned that an emergency order remains on the table. Many inside and outside the White Household that it may be the best option to end the budget standoff, reopening the government while al- lowing Trump to tell his base supporters he did not cave on the wall. However, some GOP law- makers – as well as White House aides – have counseled against it, concerned that an emergency declaration would immediately be challenged in court. Others have raised con- cerns about re-routing money from other projects, including money Congress approved for disaster aid. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have also warned that acting under an emergency order would set a troubling prece- dent for executive power. Lawmakers invited to the White House include centrist Democrats from districts where Trump is popular, including freshmen. President Donald Trump speaks at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 100th Annual Convention, Monday in New Orleans. – PHOTO: AP This frame taken from video shows the scene of an explosion in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi on Tuesday. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16, 2019 INVEST IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CALL US TODAY @ 943-4678 OFFICE TEL FAX E-MAIL WEBSITE Unit 201 Alissta Towers 943-IMPT (4678) 943-4679 Info_impt@candw.ky www.impttraining.com Innovative Management & Professional Training Business & Computer Skills Training Seminars & Workshops SEMINAR & WORKSHOP TITLES COST (CI$) TIMEDATE Introduction to WORD Workshop$175 9 – 1 Jan 23 Customer Service Essentials$175 9 – 1 Jan 30 Introduction to EXCEL Workshop$1759 – 1Jan 31 Understanding Double Entry & Accruals Accounting$2259 – 4Feb. 6 Reception & Telephone Essentials$1759 – 1Feb 7 Intermediate WORD Workshop$2259 – 4Feb 13 Managing Time & Stress in the Workplace$2259 – 4Feb 20 QuickBooks: Essential Skills$2259 - 4Feb 27 Evening Session: Intermediate EXCEL$225 Tues & Thurs @ 5:30 – 7:30 pm Jan. 22, 24 & 29 Evening Session: CBP Business Communication $500 Mons. @ 5:30 – 7:30 pm Feb. 4 – Mar. 18 Evening Session: Advanced EXCEL$225 Tues & Thurs @ 5:30 – 7:30 pm Feb. 5, 7, & 12 Evening Session: CBP Customer Service$500 Mons. @ 5:30 – 7:30 pm Mar. 25 – May 6 SAVE … when you book 3 participants in the same seminar. Get the 4th participant FREE!!! Contact us for a full listing of available titles. Far-right party draws watchful eye of German intelligence BERLIN (AP) – Germany’s domestic intelligence agency said Tuesday it was putting the far-right Alternative for Germany under increased ob- servation amid concerns that it is flirting with extremism. It is the first time in the country’s post-war history that a party represented in the national parliament has faced such scrutiny. The domestic intelligence service BfV plans to examine public comments by Alter- native for Germany mem- bers and its links to ex- tremist groups, but stopped short of putting the party as a whole under covert sur- veillance, the agency’s head, Thomas Haldenwang, told re- porters in Berlin. The party’s youth section and a party faction linked to a prominent leader in eastern Germany, Bjoern Hoecke, will be scrutinized even more closely, including through the possible use of covert methods, Haldenwang said, adding that there was suf- ficient evidence to indicate they could be classified as “extremist organizations.” He cited the youth or- ganization’s stated goal of creating an ethnically pure country and efforts by Hoecke’s faction – known as “The Wing” – to downplay Germany’s Nazi past. The Wing has also suggested it might pursue “revolutionary” means to achieve its polit- ical aims, warranting scru- tiny from the BfV, which is tasked with monitoring all extremist organizations in the country. Alternative for Germany, which is also known by the German acronym AfD, has walked a fine line in recent years by promoting views far outside the country’s political mainstream while insisting that it remains committed to law and order. Its co-leader, Alexander Gauland, criticized the BfV’s decision and claimed it was politically motivated, adding the party would take legal action steps against it. “We maintain this deci- sion of the BfV is wrong,” Gauland said. The BfV, whose name translates as Federal Office for the Protection of the Con- stitution, spent months col- lecting material on Alterna- tive for Germany. After reviewing 1,069 pages of publicly available material, including the par- ty’s program, websites and speeches by leading figures, the agency concluded there was enough evidence that elements of the party were working against some con- stitutional guarantees, in- cluding the dignity of all per- sons, Haldenwang said. SPAIN ARRESTS 17 IN ONGOING ANTI-TERROR OPERATION MADRID (AP) – Authori- ties in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia said 17 people, including five alleged members of an extremist Islamist cell, were arrested Tuesday as part of an ongoing anti- terror operation. As well as having terror links, the suspects also al- legedly participated in theft, drug trafficking and other crimes, according to the Mossos d’Esquadra re- gional police. More than 100 agents took part in the opera- tion, which was ongoing as of mid-afternoon, a spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman said six venues had been searched in and near Barce- lona, the regional capital. She declined to be identified by name in line with the police force’s standard practices. Catalan regional min- ister of security, Miquel Buch, told reporters most of the arrests took place in a central Barcelona neigh- borhood, but some were made in the nearby town of Igualada. The five suspected of being part of an extremist cell were originally from Al- geria, Buch told reporters. “They were determined about carrying out an at- tack, but they didn’t have the capacity for it,” he said. Investigating magistrate Manuel Garcia-Castellon of the National Court, which normally handles terror-re- lated probes in Spain, or- dered the arrests and will be interrogating those who remain in custody later this week, a court spokesman told The Associated Press, following customary rules of anonymity. France’s Macron launches national ‘grand debate’ GRAND BOURGTHEROULDE, France (AP) – French Presi- dent Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday encouraged people to list their grievances and propose changes to the country’s economy during a “grand debate” aimed at appeasing the yellow vest movement, following weeks of anti-government protests. Macron formally launched a three-month national de- bate during a meeting with about 600 mayors and local officials in Grand Bourgth- eroulde, a small town in Normandy. He said he was there to hear the concerns of the French. He started his journey with a stop in the small town of Gasny to attend a local officials’ meeting, where some expressed their concerns over the loss of purchasing power of retirees and civil servants. Macron said he wants to help “people in a difficult situation” find their way out of poverty by making them “more responsible,” because “some are doing the right thing, and some are messing around.” The expression, using a vulgar verb in French, was highly commented on social media. The outspoken 42-year-old leader had previously made comments perceived by many French as arrogant, including when he told a jobless man that he just had to “cross the street” to find work or when he suggested some French workers are “lazy.” Macron said the yellow vest crisis was a chance to make deeper changes in the country. He notably pledged to reform the pension system this year to make it fairer because some workers cur- rently have more benefits than others depending on their jobs. Despite a high security presence, a ban on traffic and restricted access to the town, more than 100 yellow vest protesters gathered in Grand Bourgtheroulde to express their discontent. Some brief scuffles be- tween demonstrators and police broke out and a few people have been arrested, an AP photographer reported. Security forces used tear gas to push back protesters to a good distance from the meeting with Macron. Macron this week ad- dressed a “letter to the French” to encourage people to express their views. The consultation will take place through local meet- ings and on the internet. The debate will focus on taxes, public services, climate change and democracy. The French leader, whose popularity ratings hit re- cord lows at the end of last year, hopes the process will help quell anger over his eco- nomic policies. About 84,000 people turned out last weekend for the ninth round of anti-gov- ernment demonstrations across France, according to the French Interior ministry. The yellow vest move- ment, born in November from discontent over a tax hike on diesel fuel, has ex- panded to encompass de- mands for wider changes to France’s economy to help struggling workers. Pro- testers have denounced Ma- cron’s pro-business policies as favoring the rich. The movement is named for the fluorescent gar- ments all French motor- ists are required to keep in their vehicles. French President Emmanuel Macron looks out from his car window in Gasny, 50 miles northeast of Paris, France, Tuesday. – PHOTO: AP Head of the Alternative for Germany opposition party in Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke, salutes during a rally in Erfurt, eastern Germany. – PHOTO: AP Catalan police officers secure the area in Barcelona, Spain. – PHOTO: APNext >