High of 89 Low of 76 Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 IMPROVING DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UK AND OVERSEAS TERRITORIES LOCAL | PAGE 3 CLEAN-UP WORK CONTINUES AT HISTORIC OIL SPILLS ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY, 14 MAY 2019 UK GOVERNMENT REJECTS DEMANDS ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, IMMIGRATION Casas in the sky 9 years later, still no licensing deal for Cayman Water MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com The UK government has rejected demands by the Foreign Affairs Committee that it should en- force the legalisation of same-sex marriages and abolish belongership, the equivalent of Cayma- nian status, in the overseas territories. The committee issued a report in February de- manding a reset of the relationship between the UK and its territories. This included the recom- mendation that the UK government should set a date by which it expects all overseas territories to have legalised same-sex marriage and, if neces- sary, legislate itself for the territories through an Order in Council, if such a date is not met. The committee also put forward that belonger- ship and equivalent concepts should be phased out to enable British citizens in the territories to vote or hold elected office. In an official response to the House of Com- mons report, the UK government said it was com- mitted to equal rights, including LGBT rights. However, the justice mechanisms and processes in the territories “should be allowed the space to ad- dress these matters”. Cayman’s Court of Appeal granted a stay of a Grand Court judgment that allows gay and les- bian couples to obtain a marriage licence. Chief Justice Anthony Smellie ruled in March that preventing same-sex couples from accessing marriage, and the rights associated with it, was a clear violation of freedoms guaranteed by the Cayman Islands Constitution, including the right to a private and family life. The chief justice used his powers under the Constitution to rewrite the Marriage Law. He or- dered that the clause in the law, specifying that marriage is reserved for heterosexual couples, should define marriage as “the union between First ‘air parcels’ approved in Cayman Islands JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Owning a little piece of the rock has long been part of the Caymanian dream. Now, for the first time, homeowners can buy a slice of the sky. Davenport Development has become the first company to take advantage of the introduction of ‘air parcels’. Changes to the land law, introduced in 2017, allow developers to sell three- dimensional lots, sometimes known as ‘flying freeholds’. The Central Planning Authority ap- proved the first application for an aerial subdivision last month. Davenport Devel- opment was granted permission to create “99 volumetric lots” for its new 96-home development, Arvia, in Grand Harbour. Paul Pearson, director of Daven- port, said registering aerial parcels meant buyers on the upper floors of a development could acquire full title to their homes. “It is really a block of air. Once you register it as a parcel, it can be treated in the same way as a piece of land,” he said. Previously, multi-storey developments had to be registered as building stratas, meaning the structure must remain in joint ownership between all the residents. In this case, the community and common areas will be managed through a homeowners association. The wider impact of the introduction of aerial parcels is that it will allow de- velopers to build over public land. Dart Real Estate has long-term plans to build a hotel, shops and restaurants on top of the overpasses that link Camana KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Some nine years after it expired, Cayman Water has still not reached a new licensing deal to serve cus- tomers in the Seven Mile Beach and West Bay areas, according to the first-quarter financial report from Cayman Water’s parent company, Consolidated Water. The reason for the long delay is likely because government wants to negotiate lower rates for customers – something that could “significantly reduce” Cayman Water’s income, ac- cording to its financial reports. Cayman Water’s retail licence was originally set to expire in July 2010, but has been extended several times over the years so that govern- ment and the company could reach a new deal. The most recent licence exten- sion expired on 31 Jan. 2018, but Consolidated Water stated in its re- port that it continues to provide water on the assumption that the licence has been further extended to allow negotiations to continue without interrupting an essential service. The company began nego- tiating with the Utilities Regula- tion and Competition Office, known as OfReg, in July 2017, the re- port states. Cayman Water proposed a deal to OfReg last year, but the regulator rejected that deal in November. “On Nov. 2, 2018, the Company received a letter from OfReg in which OfReg rejected the Compa- ny’s most recent commercial pro- posal,” Consolidated Water stated in its November 2018 financial report. “Further, OfReg indicated that if the Company is unwilling to submit a new proposal offering certain addi- tional concessions, then OfReg will Davenport’s Arvia development was granted the first planning approval for aerial lots. The project is seen here in an artist’s rendering. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL®IONAL CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) – Burgeoning numbers of Cubans are trying to get into the US by way of the Mexican border, creating a big backlog of people waiting on the Mexican side for months for their chance to apply for asylum. The surge over the past several months has been propelled in part by loos- ened travel restrictions in Central America and de- teriorating living condi- tions in Cuba. As a result, about 4,500 people, the vast majority of them Cuban, are crowded into Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, while they wait to be called for their asylum interviews – an influx that has raised tensions with the locals in some cases. “It’s a bottleneck with an opening that is get- ting smaller,” said Enrique Valenzuela, an official of Mexico’s Chihuahua state, which manages Juarez’s waiting list. “People keep coming.” For decades during the Cold War and beyond, Cu- bans tried to reach the US by air, land and sea, many of them crossing the 90 miles to Florida in dangerously rickety boats and rafts. In January 2017, though, the US ended its ‘wet-foot, dry-foot’ policy of almost automatically admitting any Cuban who managed to reach Amer- ican soil. For many Cubans, their best option is going to the US-Mexican border and claiming asylum. For many years, Cu- bans entering through the southern border generally flew to South America and tried to come into the US at Laredo, Texas. But now many are using a relatively new and shorter route: They fly to Panama or Nic- aragua, pay smugglers to help them reach the US border, and seek to come across at El Paso. In the seven-month pe- riod from October through April, 4,737 Cubans without legal status entered the US at crossings in Customs and Border Protection’s El Paso field office, compared with 394 in the previous 12 months. Along the en- tire US-Mexico border, 10,910 Cubans came through official crossings between October and April, versus 7,079 in the previous 12 months. Migrants applying for asylum are often released into the US while their cases make their way through im- migration courts, which can take years. But for Cubans, it’s easier to settle in the United States than for others. Communist Cuba refuses to fully cooperate with the US on deportations, meaning that if the migrants lose their asylum cases, Cuba generally does not take them back. The US then has little choice but to let them stay. For Cubans and others, one of the biggest obstacles is simply getting an opportunity to apply for asylum. Over the last year, the Trump admin- istration has sharply limited the number of asylum claims it processes at land crossings, forcing people to wait their turn in Mexico. At the current processing rate, the wait in Juarez is now up to five months, compared with only a few days as re- cently as February. Panama became known in recent years as a relatively easy source of visas for Cu- bans who could make a con- vincing case that they only wanted to shop and return to sell goods in Cuba. Panama has a free trade zone where Cubans splurge on every- thing from shampoo to air conditioners and electric motorbikes. Also, in October, Panama began issuing $20 tourist cards to Cuban business people and certain others, re- placing a longer, more diffi- cult process that often ended in rejection. In January, Nicaragua made it faster and easier for Cubans to obtain a visa in Havana by eliminating the requirement that applica- tions be approved in Nicara- gua’s capital. Meanwhile, a drop in Ven- ezuelan aid and the US hard- ening of the trade embargo against Cuba have created food shortages and a sense of crisis on the island. Young people in particular are lining up outside any embassy that will grant them a visa. TUESDAY, 14 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 1:25 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 SUN: 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 KALANK (PG) 3:10 I 9:00 (SAT ONLY) I 9:30 (NO SAT) SUN: 3:10 I 9:20 LITTLE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:25 (SAT ONLY) I 3:50 (NO SAT) 6:50 I 9:45 SUN: 3:50 I 6:50 I 9:35 DUMBO 10:30 (SAT ONLY) I 4:35 I 7:15 (NO SAT) SUN: 4:35 I 7:15 CAPTAIN MARVEL 1:40 I 10:00 (NO SAT) SUN: 6:30 I 10:00 THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 1:10 VIP I 4:35 I 7:00 VIP I 10:15 HELLBOY (R) 12:35 (SAT ONLY) I 1:00 I 6:10 (SAT ONLY) I 6:45 SHAZAM! (PG13) 1:30 I 3:40 VIP I 7:15 I 9:30 VIP SUN: 3:40 VIP I 4:40 I 6:40 VIP 8:00 I 9:40 VIP KIDS CLUB: OVER THE HEDGE(PG) 10:00 (SAT ONLY) CULTURE AT THE CINEMA: THE TRAGEDY OF KIND RICHARD THE SECOND(R18) SAT ONLY: 8:00 • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - TUESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) THE HUSTLE (PG13) 4:30 VIP I 5:15 I 9:45 VIP POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU (PG) 1:30 I 4:05 3D I 6:40 I 9:15 3D STUDENT OF THE YEAR 2 (PG) 12:45 I 7:15 FAST COLOR (PG13) 2:35 I 10:00 AVENGERS: END GAME (PG13) 12:30 VIP I 1:10 I 5:05 3D I 8:00 I 9:00 BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 3:45 I 10:05 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: BONNIE AND CLYDE (R) 7:00 VIP Botanic Park gets picture of blue iguana and Prince Charles JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A framed picture of Prince Charles, 70, carefully stroking a rare blue iguana has been presented to the Queen Eliz- abeth II Botanic Park by Pin- nacle Media. The Prince of Wales vis- ited the park on 28 March during a two-day visit with the Duchess of Cornwall to the Cayman Islands. The visit included a tour of the Blue Iguana Recovery Pro- gramme’s captive breeding facility, run by the National Trust of the Cayman Islands. The Prince petted 15-year- old ‘Peter’ after he was as- sured the reptile was safe. Pinnacle Media Publisher Kathleen Capetta presented a large colour copy of the orig- inal photograph taken by Compass photographer Alvaro Serey to the park’s General Manager John Lawrus. Capetta said it was given to commemorate a historic moment for the park and for the country. “We are honoured to re- ceive such a beautiful picture from the Cayman Compass to commemorate a very spe- cial day in the history of the Botanic Park,” Lawrus said. “We want to take this op- portunity to highlight our long-standing partnership with the Blue Iguana Re- covery Programme and the National Trust of the Cayman Islands. We hope this image stimulates conversation around the important work that both the Botanic Park and the National Trust are doing in the areas of conser- vation,” he said. Lawrus said in 1996, the first captive-bred two- and three-year-old blue iguanas were released on the wood- land trail and lakeside of the Botanic Park. As a result of the suc- cess of the Blue Iguana Re- covery Programme, visitors to the Botanic Park can now enjoy seeing free-roaming blue iguanas throughout the grounds. They can also take a guided, behind-the- scenes tour of the captive breeding facility. Botanic Park General Manager John Lawrus, right, and Mona Lisa Meade of the Tourism Attraction Board, which oversees the Botanic Park, receive the framed photograph from Pinnacle Media Publisher Kathleen Capetta, centre. – PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE Burgeoning numbers of Cubans trying to enter US via Mexico Now many are using a relatively new and shorter route: They fly to Panama or Nicaragua, pay smugglers to help them reach the US border, and seek to come across at El Paso. Cuban migrants are escorted by Mexican immigration officials in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, as they cross the Paso del Norte International bridge to be processed as asylum seekers on the US side of the border. - PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, 14 MAY 2019 EDITION BOOKING DEADLINE Monday May 20th NO PUBLICATION Tuesday May 21st Thursday May 16th Wednesday May 22nd Thursday May 16th Thursday May 23rd Friday May 17th Friday May 24th Tuesday May 21st DISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAYDISCOVERY DAY Celebrate the long weekend OVER May 20th (345) 949-5111 • sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Please be advised there will be no newspaper on Monday, May 20th, Discovery Day. OUR OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY PUBLICATION DEADLINES: Clean-up work continues at historic oil spills KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Rubis is continuing clean-up work on several major fuel spills that oc- curred in Cayman over the last 21 years. According to a January report from the Water Au- thority made public earlier this month, clean-up work has occurred at two spill sites: the Jackson Point fuel terminal, where three “signif- icant” fuel spills took place from 1998-2001; and a former Rubis service station on Shedden Road, where a major spill was discovered in 2016. The three spills from 1998- 2001 happened when the site was known as the Texaco Jackson Point fuel terminal. Texaco and later Chevron worked to clean up the site over the years – “applying var- ious technologies” to the area – and Rubis continued reme- diation when it took over the operations, according to the Water Authority report. Rubis’s work consists of active remediation of the spills at the terminal and collection of environmental data, the report states. “Rubis has submitted a ‘no further action’ request as the historical spills at the terminal have been remedi- ated to such an extent that they do no longer pose a risk to environmental and public health,” the report notes. “The Authority is considering ac- cepting the request.” The spill at the Rubis sta- tion on Shedden Road was discovered during geotech- nical investigations for the Cricket Square development, the report states. The prop- erty had been acquired by the Flowers Group for con- struction of the new office at Cricket Square, the re- port states. “To limit impacts on the construction schedule, it was essential that the impacted site was remediated as quick as possible. Once it was clear that the spill related to the service station, Rubis took immediate action,” the report states, adding, “Rubis closed down the service station, de- molished it and conducted an aggressive remediation of the site.” According to the Water Authority, the clean-up work at the site consisted of re- moving a large volume of fuel-impacted soil for re- mediation off-site. The im- pacted groundwater was re- mediated on site with a specialised wastewater treat- ment system. “A network of monitoring wells was installed to verify the effect of the remediation, and the data collected from the wells indicate that the Authority’s goals for the re- mediation have been met,” the report states. The Water Au- thority did not immediately respond to a Cayman Com- pass inquiry about whether the authority has made any decisions on Rubis’ “no fur- ther action” requests since re- leasing its report. Meanwhile, the Water Au- thority has accepted that “no further action” is required at a 2016 spill at the Owen Rob- erts International Airport fuel aviation terminal. That spill was reported by Rubis in March 2016, about nine months before the fuel aviation terminal at the air- port was decommissioned for the airport redevelop- ment project. “The impacted area was excavated and both ground- water and soil were reme- diated,” the Water Authority report states. “[Consultants] carried out further environ- mental monitoring of the site, which confirmed that the site did meet the Authority’s re- mediation criteria. “Rubis submitted a ‘no further action’ request in Oc- tober 2018. In December 2018 the Authority accepted the ‘no further action’ request.” Rubis’s work consists of active remediation of the spills at the terminal and collection of environmental data, the report states. Three ‘significant’ fuel spills took place from 1998-2001 at the the Jackson Point fuel terminal. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Cayman bids to host Rugby World Cup Sevens SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Rugby Union has launched an expres- sion of interest to bid to host the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens. That expression of interest was conveyed in April to World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, and if accepted, would allow Cay- man’s team to host and com- pete in a global spectacle. The event, held every four years, has been staged seven times in total, but a women’s event has only been a part of the tournament in the last three editions. The United Arab Emir- ates, Russia and the United States have been the last three hosts. Eric Bush, the chief of- ficer of the Ministry of In- ternational Trade, Invest- ment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs, said Monday that winning the bid to host the tournament would be great for Cayman. “The Rugby World Sevens are a global event,” Bush said. “In my personal view, hosting something of this na- ture would be a fantastic in- itiative for Cayman Rugby. Hosting such a prestigious and global event would be in line with enhancing the image of the Cayman Islands around the world.” New Zealand has won three of the seven editions of the men’s tournament, and Fiji has won twice. New Zealand has also won twice on the women’s side after losing in the fi- nals to Australia in the in- augural women’s World Cup Sevens in 2009. Jovan Bowles, Cayman Rugby’s technical director, said Monday that Cayman is one of 11 bids to host the World Cup Sevens, and he said all financial documen- tation is due to World Rugby by 16 July. The other coun- tries are: Argentina, France, Germany, India, Jamaica, Ma- laysia, Qatar, Scotland, South Africa and Tunisia. “It’s a very prestigious event,” Bowles said. “We sat down with Mr. Bush and he laid out his vision for Cayman to host international events, and we’re very hon- oured to be a part of that vi- sion. The World Cup Sevens happen every four years, and it would be a great showcase event for Cayman.” Fourteen nations made a bid to host the last World Cup Rugby Sevens, which were ultimately held in San Francisco. Twenty-four men’s teams and 16 women’s teams competed in that tournament. Cayman will host the Rugby North American Sevens tournament in July, an event that serves as a re- gional qualifier for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The teams that win the tournament will automatically qualify, and the second and third-place teams will play in the World Rugby Olympic Repechage tournament. If Cayman’s bid is ac- cepted, Truman Bodden Sports Complex would serve as the host venue for the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens. Derek Haines, the presi- dent of Cayman Rugby, said Monday that the organisation hopes to build new rugby grounds at some point in the next two years. The hope of the organisa- tion is that the new grounds would be completed by the end of 2021, but even if that comes to pass, Truman Bodden is still viewed as the prime target to host the tournament.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. TUESDAY, 14 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Premier Alden McLaughlin struck the right tone in his recent statement on the United Kingdom’s govern- ance of its overseas territories, demonstrating both fortitude and diplomacy as he addressed conflicts on a number of issues that are exceptionally sensitive politi- cally in the Cayman Islands. The UK Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons has published the UK government’s official response to the committee’s February report calling on government to intervene if British Overseas Terri- tories do not legalise same-sex marriage, abolish rules on ‘belongership’ (i.e. ‘Caymanian status’) or accelerate the adoption of public beneficial ownership registers. In brief, the UK government rejected those recommendations. The Cayman Islands premier described the UK gov- ernment’s response as “a clear-headed restatement of the fundamental principle of self-government that under- pins the relationship between Cayman and the UK”. On the issue of beneficial ownership, the premier said, “While we in the Cayman Islands and others in the OTs will continue to resist the UK’s attempts to impose public registers upon us in the absence of a global standard, it is positive that the UK Government has pushed back on any suggestion that the current timetable should be accelerated. “I would like to thank the Governor for the assistance he has provided in representing the views of Cayman back to the UK Government and to ensure that those making the decisions were aware of the grave concern we felt about the Committee’s recommendations.” To underscore the premier’s point on the timeline for public registers, we suggest that before the UK attempts to mandate a beneficial ownership regime in Cayman and the other overseas territories, it should get its own ‘house’ in order – namely Companies House, which is the UK’s registrar of companies. The UK has long claimed that its public register is the “gold standard” for company information. In a way, that’s true. As opposed to the current system in Cayman, where company information is verified by financial services providers but is not publicly avail- able, the UK Companies House information is publicly available but not verified. According to a report released earlier this month by international NGO Global Witness, about 8.1% of Companies House entities declared they had no ben- eficial owner. Hundreds of companies were part of a circular ownership structure and thousands were controlled by a beneficial owner who controlled more than 100 companies. Thousands more named a foreign company as its beneficial owner, and more than 2,000 company owners are disqualified directors. Perhaps most concerning is that nearly 10,000 people have complained that their legitimate details on Companies House had been stolen by fraudsters. “The fact that critical information on company ownership is accepted at face value, without even the requirement for basic ID checks, hugely undermines the fight against corruption and money laundering. While the UK is a world leader in the way it makes information available to the public on its companies, the register will only prove its worth if people can trust the information and criminals are actually deterred from using UK com- panies in the first place,” said Nienke Palstra, anti-cor- ruption campaigner at Global Witness. In light of such concerns, UK officials unveiled a package of reforms to Companies House aimed at increasing the accuracy of the information while pro- tecting entrepreneurs from criminal activity. It is imperative that the UK addresses critical short- comings in the public register system it wants Cayman to emulate. In the meantime, we stand with the premier and other leaders as they continue to engage the UK on this and other matters of “grave concern” through principled, respectful and constructive conversations. Improving dialogue between the UK and overseas territories A more integrated approach to the environment DAVID JESSOP Last week, the United Na- tions published a document which indicated that histori- cally unprecedented levels of human activity were causing dramatic changes to the va- riety of plant and animal life in the world. The report said that that many species had become extinct over the past 50 years, and that up to one million of the remaining eight million varieties of life that account for biodiver- sity globally may disappear within decades. The hard-hitting 1,500- page report, the ‘2019 Global Assessment Study’ was com- piled by hundreds of interna- tional experts. Based on thou- sands of scientific studies it identified multiple human factors at work including the over exploitation of resources on land and in the sea, cli- mate change, pollution, and changes in land use. It indicated, for example, that globally 25 percent of plant and animal species are vulnerable to extinction, and that a reduction in the diver- sity of cultivated crops and domesticated breeds of ani- mals meant that farming will in future be less resilient to climate change, as well as to pests and pathogens. The report detailed how plastic pollution has in- creased tenfold since 1980 affecting sea life and set out how increasingly the demand for food, energy and materials is at the expense of nature’s ability to continue to provide. Introducing the study, which is intended to provide a scientific basis for policy- making, UNESCO’s Director- General, Audrey Azoulay, said that it put the world on no- tice that protecting biodiver- sity had become as vital a fight as that to address cli- mate change. It was, she said, “our responsibility towards future generations,” adding that the report meant that “no one will be able to claim that they did not know”. Such knowledge is of course important, but there remains a huge gap between awareness and the imple- mentation of policies and re- medial measures in biodi- versity-rich regions such the Caribbean. This is because de- veloping nations often reach less than satisfactory compro- mises between the need for investor-led development, eco- nomic growth, and local con- cerns about protecting what makes a country or region en- vironmentally special. Last November the Carib- bean published its own bi- odiversity study. Although scarcely noticed, it as- sessed the progress and dif- ficulties the region is expe- riencing in trying to move towards achieving each of the 20 global biodiversity targets agreed in 2010 in Aichi in Japan. As ‘The State of Biodiver- sity in the Caribbean Com- munity’ explains, the main threats facing the nations of CARICOM are the destruc- tion and fragmentation of plant and animal life due to increasing urbanisation, the conversion of lands for tourism and commercial de- velopment, and the expan- sion of agriculture. Such challenges it notes have been exacerbated by the rapid growth of populations and increased economic ac- tivity, as well as by climate change in the form of ocean warming, more intense hurri- canes and severe drought. In an indication of how difficult to resolve the biodi- versity challenges set by the UN will be, the Caribbean’s report notes that conserva- tion and sustainable manage- ment of biodiversity in the region is often hampered by the competing goals of eco- nomic growth and national development. What the Caricom review suggests is that while the Caribbean is of global signifi- cance when it comes to biodi- versity, there is an unresolved tension between what is de- sirable ecologically and the need for development. The characteristics of this far from easy to resolve co- nundrum can be seen in the detail of the Caribbean’s re- view document and its rec- ommendations, for example in relation to land clearance subsidies for agriculture, and role of the private sector and tourism. The CARICOM review also observes that although tourism is the leading con- tributor to GDP in many CARICOM countries, inade- quately regulated and man- aged it can cause major pres- sures on and damage to ecosystems and the ability of the sector to provide services, including those necessary to attract tourists and tourism investment. The review makes several recommendations including the need for stronger regula- tory and institutional frame- works for the environment; mechanisms to ensure com- pliance; greater availability of resources; improved coor- dination between government agencies and with the private sector; and the need to main- stream biodiversity aware- ness across economic sectors and business. Despite the importance of addressing such issues in the Caribbean and globally, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that achieving full implemen- tation of what was agreed in Aichi nearly a decade ago will be very difficult. Not only do vested commercial interests stand in the way in the region and elsewhere, but the pressure they are able to exert can be hard for politi- cians to resist in financially under resourced nations that continue to need investment and sustainable employment. As with climate change, satisfactorily addressing bio- diversity requires more than talk, consensus and the adop- tion of reports, especially when there are states that re- ject interdependence and pay as little attention to the en- vironment and the impact of climate change as they do to inequity and social justice. Thankfully, however, much of the Caribbean thinks dif- ferently about both the envi- ronment and its social com- mitment and is still one of the world’s greatest centres of biodiversity. And that is why the region ought to be emphasising ac- tion, and how with support it intends to deliver an inte- grated response to the now well documented biodiver- sity and other environmental challenges it faces. David Jessop is a consultant to the Caribbean Council and can be contacted at david.jessop@Caribbean-council.org. © 2019, David Jessop 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 PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or non-profit organisations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Road or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 14 MAY 2019 TUESDAY, 14 MAY CAYMAN CUP TENNIS: The Cayman Islands Tennis Club hosts the Cayman Cup until 18 May. There will be a Junior U-18 ITF Tournament and a COTECC U-14 Tournament, as well as an Adult Championship. For more details on the event, visit www.caymancup.ca. CHILD MONTH: Foster Care Information Session, George Town Town Hall, 5:30-7pm. THURSDAY, 16 MAY CHILD MONTH: A Teen Panel will be held at the George Town Town Hall, 4-6pm. BRACCANAL: Cayman Brac Carnival. Through 20 May. Contact cybbraccanalcommittee@ gmail.com or visit www.braccanal.com for more information. FRIDAY, 17 MAY CHILD MONTH: Youth Conference 2019, Margaritaville Resort, 8:30am to 2pm. FISHING TOURNAMENT: Brac Jackpot. Today through Sunday. Contact Kenny Ryan, 925-3844 BUILDING SAFETY MONTH: Information Booth, Foster’s Strand, 11am to 2pm. SATURDAY, 18 MAY CHILD MONTH: Family Fun Day, Turtle Centre, North West Point Road, West Bay, 11am to 3pm. CHILD MONTH: Talent Expo, Harquail Theatre, 6:30-8:30pm. SUNDAY, 19 MAY CHILD MONTH: Intergenerational Cook-Off, Cayman Academy, 2-5pm. TUESDAY, 21 MAY BULLYING: Presentation by the Alex Panton Foundation. 6:30-8pm, South Sound Community Centre. FRIDAY, 24 MAY BUILDING SAFETY MONTH: Information Booth, A.L. Thompson’s, today and tomorrow. WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY BUILDING SAFETY MONTH: Information Booth, Kirk Home Centre, 10am to 1pm. GENERAL INTEREST PIRATES WEEK VENDORS: Food and craft vendors interested in participating in the upcoming Pirates Week Festival can reserve stalls starting Monday, 3 June. Food Festival dates are 8, 9 and 11 Nov. A valid DEH Food Handling Certificate must accompany completed application forms. All food vendors must use biodegradable containers and utensils (available from Pirates Week Festival office – limited supply). Space is limited, please register early. Download the application form at www.piratesweekfestival. com/participate. To learn more call 949-5078 or info@piratesweekfestival.com. LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Local farmers sell their produce and farmed goods at Camana Bay on Wednesdays from 10am to 3pm in Heliconia Court (located next to Scotiabank). COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8pm, 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 7-11pm. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socialising with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space and a 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, 9am till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10am till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 pp for ceramics. $15/$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. 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 Saturdays 8am to 5pm and Wednesdays 10am to 2pm. Variety of items available, including men’s, women’s, children’s and baby clothes, shoes, household, electrical items, CDs, DVDs, books, home furnishings, toys, baby cribs, car seats, dog beds and more. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm 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 12:30-4pm; Tuesday- Friday, 9:30am to 4pm; Saturday 9:30am to 4:30pm. 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. CLUBS, ORGANISATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centred 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15pm. For details, contact Vanessa Gilman at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor, Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., George Town. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15pm on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. Contact George R. Ebanks at 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. EMINENT ORATORS TOASTMASTERS: Want to be a better speaker or leader? Join a Toastmasters Club. The Eminent Orators Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Monday at Cayman Academy Canteen, Walkers Road, 6-7:30pm. Contact Sashoy Duncan at 939-8847 or email eminentorator stoastmasters@gmail.com. Visitors and guests welcome. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30pm at the Lions Community Centre. Email lionsclubgcm@hotmail.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF TROPICAL GARDENS: Meet every first and third Tuesday at 6:30pm at Elizabethan Square (corner unit). Members of the public are invited to attend. ROTARY CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN SUNRISE: Service club meetings 7am every Wednesday at George Town Yacht Club, 612 North Sound Road. Visit www.rotarysunrise.ky or info@rotarysunrise.ky. KIWANIS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets first and third Wednesdays of the month, 12:30pm, at The Wharf Restaurant. Projects include promoting well- being of children in the community and schools. Email president@kiwanis.ky or view www.kiwanis.ky. RELIGIOUS SERVICES EL MINISTERIO HISPANO: de la Iglesia Bautista Cayman Islands te hace una cordial invitación a nuestro culto en español cada Domingo, 6:30pm, Pedro Castle Road, Savannah. Para transporte, llamar al teléfono no. 946-2422, email: cibaptist@candw.ky. SPANISH WORSHIP SERVICE: First Baptist Church, Crewe Road, 6:30-8:30pm. Third Sunday of each month. HARBOUR LUTHERAN CHURCH: Meets for Divine Worship and Fellowship at South Sound Community Centre, South Sound, Sundays at 10am www.safeharbourlc.com. MUSLIM PRAYER: Islamic Society of the Cayman Islands advises 5 times salaat/prayer at the Masjid. Fajr at 6am. Dhuhr at 1:15pm. Asr at 5:15pm. Maghrib at 7 minutes after sunset. Isha at 8pm website www.isci.org.ky. CATHOLIC CHURCH: St. Ignatius, Walkers Road, Mass 6pm Saturday; 8am, 11:30am, 6pm, Sundays. Christ the Redeemer, West Bay, Mass 9:45am, Sunday. JOHN GRAY MEMORIAL UNITED CHURCH: Sunday worship for the family and Children’s Church, 10am. BOATSWAIN BAY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Sundays. 10am. Christian Education for all ages; 11am, Morning Worship with nursery for youngsters; 7pm, Evening Worship. Visit www.bbpca.org. SUNRISE COMMUNITY CHURCH: Harquail Theatre, 10am, contemporary worship. Nursery ministry, children’s church and the Explorers are for ages infant to 11. Community groups meet during the week for fellowship and growth. www.sunrise.ky. FRANK SOUND CHURCH OF GOD: Meets on Sunday at 10:30am and 6:30pm. Children church 10:30am. Bible Studies Wednesday, 7:30pm. Youth Group, Friday at 7:30pm. THE CHURCH OF GOD CHAPEL: On Academy Way and Walkers Road holds Sunday morning services at 9-10:45am. HOLY TEMPLE CHURCH OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST OF THE APOSTOLIC FAITH: Sundays, Bible class 10-11am, Service 11am to 1:30pm, Night Service, 7:30-9:30pm; Wednesdays, Night Service 7:30-9:30pm; Fridays Youth Service 7:30-9:30pm, 59 Seymour Drive, George Town. All are invited. Contact Elder Vincent Mattocks, 939-1902. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Braccanal, the Cayman Brac Carnival, starts Thursday.6 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY, 14 MAY 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS IMG becomes sponsor of Cayman Cup tennis Chamber hosts Mentoring Cayman luncheon JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Chamber of Com- merce celebrated its 2019 Mentoring Cayman pro- gramme with a luncheon at the Grand Old house on 1 May. The six-month pro- gramme is a joint part- nership with the Min- istry of Education, which pairs students with men- tors from Chamber of Com- merce member businesses and provides them with ca- reers workshops. “Since its inception in 2002, more than 1,000 stu- dents have benefitted from being a part of the Men- toring Cayman programme,” Chamber President Chris Kirkconnell said. “This year, we had a re- cord 64 students matched with mentors from the public and private sector.” Kirkconnell said the pro- gramme serves as an intro- duction to the many career pathways available on island. “Not only are students learning invaluable skills that they will need when entering into the working world, but they are also forming rela- tionships with the leaders of Cayman’s business commu- nity,” he said. The luncheon featured Staci Scott, a Young Cayma- nian Leadership Award recip- ient. She discussed how her own mentor inspires her. “I trust her opinion un- equivocally, and value the input she has and continues to make on my life more than she will ever know,” Scott said. “Change the name, and this may not be too different of a testimony from those many in this room may also be able to give. Mentorship matters,” she said. Education Minister Ju- liana O’Connor-Connolly thanked the Chamber of Commerce for organising the programme and expressed her support for mentoring as a way to assist students to gain valuable insights from mentors from the public and private sectors. Kirkconnell said they were sincerely grateful to the Ministry of Education for helping make the pro- gramme possible, and to all the members who shared their time with the students of the programme. Chief Officer Ce- tonya Cacho also attended the luncheon. The 2020 Mentoring Cayman programme will launch later this year. Those interested in becoming a mentor for the 2020 programme can contact the Chamber of Commerce at reception@caymanchamber.ky for further details. MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Newly announced spon- sorship of the Caribbean Cup tennis series by Inter- national Management Group Academy could help bolster the sport locally in Cayman, officials said. Cayman is the second stop on what is now the IMG Academy Caribbean Cup Tennis Series. Play began Monday and runs through the week, with finals on Saturday. IMG’s Jairo Aldana is an athlete adviser and was at the tournament Monday. He said this is the first junior tournament tour the com- pany has put its name on. IMG is the largest sports academy in the world. It has a school for students who are aiming towards a col- lege or professional career in a host of sports and also runs camps, clinics and other training programmes. Scores of top athletes have gone to school or trained there. Aldana said IMG will have a presence at each of the tour stops. There are eight other island tournaments on the tour. He said his job is to provide parents and ath- letes with information on the academy’s programmes. “The opportunity to be part of this circuit would be a good starting point to pro- mote IMG in the Caribbean,” Aldana said. “It’s good for the people, it’s good for the tour- nament and it’s good for IMG.” Ryan Borczon, Cayman Cup manager, said having the prestigious school as a participant helps elevate the tournament. “It really brings things up a notch,” Borczon said, adding that IMG’s presence has cre- ated a buzz among the young players. “You can really feel it.” Most players are aware of the IMG name, he said. “It’s like the most rep- utable brand in tennis,” Borczon said. “All the players know about IMG.” One Cayman player, Jade Wilkinson, is a current stu- dent at the academy. While there are close to 10 players from IMG playing in the Cayman Cup, Wilkinson is not among them. But her mother LaRene was there along with Jade’s younger sister, Willow, who is also a player. Wilkinson said IMG has been good for her older daughter. “She likes it,” Wilkinson said. “She’s always been ded- icated to school and tennis.” IMG offered things not available in Cayman, she said. “Jade had outgrown the competition on island,” she said. “In order for her to get the competition, she needs to reach her goal, which is to play collegiate tennis. She needed to go there.” She said Jade will be at- tending school at Vassar Col- lege this fall and will play tennis there. She was happy to see IMG’s involvement. “All positive things are a great thing for the tourna- ment,” she said. Dave Cotrone, director of business development for IMG Academy, said he could not reveal what IMG paid for the naming rights to the tournament series. He said the school gets a double ben- efit as a tournament sponsor. “It was not only good branding,” he said of the naming move, “but it’s a way for us to get our players involved. The academy has sent players to the Cayman tour- nament and other stops on the series in the past, he said, and knew from working with tournament organiser Karl Hale in the past that it was the kind of event they could associate themselves with. “We need to do a lot more things like this,” Cotrone said. “It’s great with pro- moting events and helps us push tennis as a sport.” “ Since its inception in 2002, more than 1,000 students have benefitted from being a part of the Mentoring Cayman programme.” CHRIS KIRKCONNELL, Chamber President Lauren Fullerton stretches up towards the ball at the Cayman Cup.Patsy Daughters plays during the first day of Cayman Cup. - PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREY Juliana O’Connor-Connolly speaks at the Mentoring Cayman luncheon. Staci Scott shares her mentoring journey Chief Officer Cetonya Cacho, Wil Pineau, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly and Staci Scott.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Bay to Seven Mile Beach. To do so, they will have to apply to sub-divide the land vertically, meaning government can retain ownership of the ‘ground floor’ parcel where the road is located, while Dart is able to own the air space above it. Stamp duty savings For Davenport, one of the advan- tages of dividing land in this way is that it allows buyers to make savings on stamp duty. Anyone buying into the development can pay stamp duty on the land or air parcel price rather than on the finished property. Pearson said it would mean savings of up to $40,000 for purchasers. Government has described this type of arrangement – already commonly used for transactions for more typical land developments – as a loophole in the law and will introduce legislative changes at the start of next year to en- sure buyers must pay full stamp duty on the final sales price in such linked transactions. Several developers, including Dav- enport and NCB, have argued against this change, saying it will make home ownership more difficult to afford for middle-class families. Avoiding the full impact of stamp duty has long been considered a perk that offsets the uncertainty of buying into a new development before construction. Pearson said, “This change is 100 percent going to affect our sales in the mid-range market. We and other devel- opers have told the government that.” He said there was no bank fi- nancing available for stamp duty, so in order to afford the down payment, stamp and other fees on a mid-range home, buyers would now need around $100,000 up front. Growth of Grand Harbour Arvia is under construction on land behind Hurley’s supermarket in Grand Harbour. It features a mix of two- and three-bed canalside homes with boat docks. With land on South Sound scarce, Pearson believes Grand Harbour is the next major growth area for residential developments. He said new businesses in the area, including bars, restaurants, banks and a gas station, were helping create a mini community. “I think the commercial develop- ment has really fed the real estate de- velopment. It is usually the other way round, but in this case, the businesses have come first and now the homes are starting to be built.” CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY MAY 14, 2019 two people as one another’s spouses”. The appeal will be heard in August. The UK government said it was working to encourage the territories that have not put in place arrangements to recognise and protect same- sex relationships. “LGBT rights and broader human rights obligations are consist- ently raised with the leaders of Overseas Territories – both bilaterally and at the Over- seas Territories Joint Minis- terial Councils. This is also a matter that is raised by Gov- ernors’ Offices. We have no plans to introduce an Order- in-Council on this issue.” The government also re- fused demands to issue a timetable for a consulta- tion process and deadline to phase out discriminatory el- ements of Cayman status or belongership. It stated that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regularly impresses on the overseas territories govern- ments how important it is to allow people, who have made their permanent home in the territories, the ability to vote and fully engage in the community. But the government also recognised the desire of the territories “to maintain their cohesion” and a cor- responding “need for a rea- sonable qualifying process”. “We understand the OTs’ concerns, sensitivities and historical background on this issue.” Just like marriage laws, immigration decisions were primarily a devolved matter for overseas territory gov- ernments, the government response noted. Premier Alden McLaughlin, who had crit- icised the Foreign Affairs Committee’s report when it was published in Feb- ruary as a “shameless and shameful attempt to repro- duce neo-colonialism”, wel- comed the official UK gov- ernment response to the recommendations. He said the UK govern- ment had given “a clear- headed restatement” of the fundamental principle of self-government that un- derpins the relationship be- tween Cayman and the UK. “I am very pleased that the UK has clearly listened to the representations that I and other OT leaders have made,” he said. “In the 21st century, there can be no justification for people 5,000 miles away, most of whom have never even visited these Islands, thinking they know better than we do how we should run our own affairs.” The premier noted as “positive” that the UK govern- ment had resisted attempts to accelerate the timetable to make the owners of Cayman- registered entities public in a centralised register. Cay- man’s government main- tains a beneficial ownership register, but it is rejecting the notion that the informa- tion should be publicly avail- able as long as this is not a global standard. Under the UK Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act, the UK government will issue an Order in Council by the end of December 2020, with the territories ex- pected to have fully func- tioning, publicly accessible registers no later than the end of 2023. Premier McLaughlin said the UK response underlined the commitment to devel- oping a positive and con- structive relationship with the territories. “That commitment has been seen too in the recent talks over the potential Con- stitutional changes that we would like to put in place in order to clarify our relation- ship,” he said. “Those negotiations are nearing a conclusion and I hope to be able to report back to the House and to the country shortly on what has been agreed.” “ LGBT rights and broader human rights obligations are consistently raised with the leaders of Overseas Territories – both bilaterally and at the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Councils. This is also a matter that is raised by Governors’ Offices. We have no plans to introduce an Order-in-Council on this issue.” UK GOVERNMENT STATEMENT “ It is really a block of air. Once you register it as a parcel it can be treated in the same way as a piece of land. PAUL PEARSON, director, Davenport Development have to consider its other available options.” Cayman Water stated in its latest financial report that it proposed in January to ad- just its rates consistent with the terms of the company’s previous licence. “However OfReg has com- municated that they have de- ferred any such adjustment until further notice,” states the report, which was pub- lished on Friday. Under its current licence regime, Cayman Water pays a 7.5% royalty to the govern- ment of its gross retail water sales revenues – excluding energy cost adjustments. The selling prices of water sold to its customers are determined by the licence and vary de- pending upon the type and location of the customer and the monthly volume of water purchased, according to Consolidated Water’s an- nual report. Consolidated Water’s fi- nancial reports do not go into detail about the negotiations, but state that government is looking to restructure its water supply deal with Con- solidated Water in a manner that could significantly re- duce the company’s income. “The resolution of these license negotiations could result in a material reduc- tion of the operating income and cash flows we have his- torically generated from our retail operations,” Consoli- dated Water stated in a pre- vious report. The report added that one of the likely outcomes to the negotiations will be that Consolidated Water will no longer receive tax breaks on its imports related to the re- tail licence. Under the ex- isting licence agreement, Con- solidated Water does not pay duty on supplies imported into the Cayman Islands. According to a 2010 filing, the Cayman Islands gov- ernment is looking to lower water rates for residents. “Depending upon the terms included in such new license, the company’s water rates to customers could be reduced, thereby resulting in a corresponding reduc- tion in the company’s oper- ating income as compared to operating income that the company has historically generated under the license,” Consolidated Water stated in a 2010 filing. UK government resists call to impose same-sex marriages, Cayman status changes 9 years later, still no licensing deal for Cayman Water Casas in the sky: First ‘air parcels’ approved An artist’s rendering shows the new Arvia development. Work is under way on the canal excavation for the new community. – PHOTOS: ALVARO SEREY Davenport development has begun construction on Arvia, its new development in the Grand Harbour area. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY, 14 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS 2 hurt as magnitude 6.1 quake hits Panama A strong earthquake struck a lightly populated area of Panama near its border with Costa Rica Sunday. Authorities said at least two people had been injured, while images posted on social media showed simple wooden homes partially collapsed. Trade row deepens as China ups tariffs on $60B in US goods Sweden to reopen rape case against WikiLeaks’ Assange STOCKHOLM (AP) – Swedish prosecutors said Monday they are reopening a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and will seek his extradition from Britain. The move sets up a legal battle with the United States, where the Australian com- puter hacker is separately wanted for allegedly hacking into a Pentagon computer. British authorities will have to decide which extradition request takes precedence. Assange, who sought refuge in the Ecuadorian Em- bassy in London in 2012 to avoid being sent to Sweden for questioning, was evicted last month after Ecuador re- voked his political asylum. He was arrested by British police on 11 April and is cur- rently in London’s Belmarsh Prison serving a 50-week sentence for jumping bail in 2012. Eva-Marie Persson, Swe- den’s deputy director of public prosecutions, told a news conference in Stock- holm Monday that “there is still a probable cause to suspect that Assange com- mitted a rape”. She added: “It is my assessment that a new questioning of Assange is required.” Swedish prosecutors filed preliminary charges – a step short of formal charges – against Assange after he vis- ited the country in 2010, fol- lowing complaints from two Swedish women who said they were the victims of sex crimes committed by Assange. While a case of alleged sexual misconduct was dropped in 2017 when the statute of limitations expired, a rape allegation remains. Swedish authorities have had to shelf it because Assange was living at the embassy at the time and there was no prospect of bringing him to Sweden. The statute of limitations in that case expires in August next year. Assange has denied wrongdoing, asserting that the allegations were politi- cally motivated and that the sex was consensual. The Australian secret- spiller now faces questioning in Sweden, on top of being held on a US extradition warrant for allegedly con- spiring with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to hack into a Pen- tagon computer. Assange’s Swedish lawyer Per E. Samuelson told The Associated Press on Monday that the decision to reopen the rape case is “outrageous”. “He is in prison in the UK, he faces the risk of being ex- tradited to the United States and on top of that, to demand that he’s going to put all his energy into looking into a 10-year-old story from Sweden is just too much,” he said. But Elisabeth Massi Fritz, the lawyer for the woman who reported being raped by Assange, said her client “feels great gratitude” over the deci- sion to reopening the case. She said it “signals that no one stands above the law”, and that “the legal system in Sweden doesn’t give a special treatment to anyone”. Persson said a European arrest warrant will be issued for Assange. A Swedish court would formally issue the ex- tradition request, which As- sange could appeal. She added that while there is a risk the case may cut close to the statute of limitations deadline, “there is also a chance that we will be able to get him extradited be- fore August 17 next year”. Persson said it was “im- possible to predict” how the extradition process would unfold. The 47-year-old Australian met the women in connection with a lecture in August 2010 in Stockholm. One was in- volved in organising an event for Sweden’s centre-left So- cial Democratic Party and of- fered to host Assange at her apartment. The other was in the audience. A police officer who heard the women’s accounts de- cided there was reason to suspect they were victims of sex crimes and handed the case to a prosecutor. Neither of the al- leged victims has been named publicly. Assange faces a max- imum of four years in prison in Sweden. The British extradition process is not swift, and Assange could appeal sev- eral times if decisions go against him. It’s expected it would take a year or longer for him to be sent to the United States or possibly to Sweden even if he ultimately loses in court. WikiLeaks’ Editor-in- Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson said the decision to reopen the case against Assange “will give Julian a chance to clear his name”. He said in a statement that Persson had been under “intense political pressure” to reopen the case, and criti- cised authorities for “mishan- dling” it from the start. BEIJING (AP) – Deepening a trade battle and sending fi- nancial markets spinning, China announced Monday it was raising tariffs on $60 bil- lion of US goods in retalia- tion for the latest hike in US tariffs on its exports. The Finance Ministry said Monday the new penalty du- ties of 5% to 25% on hundreds of US products including bat- teries, spinach and coffee will take effect 1 June. That followed Trump’s in- crease on Friday of duties on $200 billion of Chinese im- ports from 10% to 25% after charging that China had backtracked on commitments it made in earlier negotia- tions in a dispute over Bei- jing’s technology ambitions and perennial trade surplus. Resuming his messages over Twitter early Monday, President Donald Trump warned Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) that China “will be hurt very badly” if it doesn’t agree to a trade deal. Trump tweeted China “had a great deal, almost com- pleted, & you backed out!” Trump insisted the tar- iffs the US has placed on Chi- nese goods do not hurt Amer- ican consumers, saying there is “no reason for the US. Con- sumer to pay the Tariffs”. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow ac- knowledged Sunday that US consumers and businesses pay the tariffs. “Both sides will pay,” he told Fox News. China had vowed “nec- essary countermeasures” on Friday against Trump’s esca- lation of the tariff conflict. Frazzled by the uncer- tainty, shares sank Monday across the globe. Futures con- tracts for the Dow Jones in- dustrial average and the S&P 500 were down 2% before mar- kets opened on Wall Street. Beijing is running out of US imports for penalties due to the lopsided trade bal- ance between the world’s two largest economies. Reg- ulators have targeted Amer- ican companies in China by slowing down customs clear- ance for shipments and pro- cessing of business licenses. The new tariffs are likely to hurt exporters on both sides, as well as European and Asian companies that trade between the United States and China or supply components and raw mate- rials to their manufacturers. The increases already in place have disrupted trade in goods from soybeans to medical equipment and sent shockwaves through other Asian economies that supply Chinese factories. Forecasters have warned that the US tariff hikes could disrupt a Chinese re- covery that had appeared to be gaining traction. Growth in the world’s second-largest economy held steady at 6.4% over a year earlier in Jan- uary-March, supported by higher government spending and bank lending. The tensions “raise fresh doubts about this recovery path”, Morgan Stanley econ- omists Robin Xing, Jenny Zheng and Zhipeng Cai said in a report. The latest US charges could knock 0.5 percentage points off annual Chinese economic growth and that loss could widen to 1 per- centage point if both sides extend penalties to all of each other’s exports, economists say. That would pull annual growth below 6%, raising the risk of politically dangerous job losses. The latest talks ended with no word of progress on Friday. Chinese officials said they hoped that the US side would meet them halfway, describing the standoff as just a “setback”. Trump might meet his Chi- nese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during next month’s meeting of the Group of 20 major econ- omies in Osaka, said Kudlow, his economic adviser. Chinese officials have in- vited the top US envoys – Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Sec- retary Steven Mnuchin -to Beijing, Kudlow said on Fox News. But he said there were no “definite plans”. China’s state media has sought to reassure busi- nesses and consumers that the ruling Communist Party has the resources and policy tools to respond to the dis- pute with Washington. “There is nothing to be afraid of,” said the party newspaper People’s Daily. “The US-instigated trade war against China is just a hurdle in China’s development pro- cess. It is no big deal.” Trump started raising tar- iffs last July over complaints China steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow acknowledged Sunday that US consumers and businesses pay the tariffs. “Both sides will pay,” he told Fox News. Shoppers walk by foreign fashion boutiques at a popular shopping mall in Beijing, Monday. Companies waited Monday to see how China decides to retaliate for President Donald Trump’s latest tariff hike while forecasters warned the escalating fight over technology and trade might disrupt a Chinese economic recovery. - PHOTO: AP WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is taken on 1 May from court, where he appeared on charges of jumping British bail seven years ago, in London. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 14 MAY 2019 Filipinos cast vote in midterm elections crucial to Duterte Ex-Interpol chief’s wife gets asylum in France PARIS (AP) – The wife of Meng Hongwei, the former Interpol president jailed in China for what she believes are political reasons, said Monday that France has saved her life and the lives of their two young boys by granting her asylum request. The French government office that rules on asylum requests rendered its deci- sion last week, granting her refugee status, Grace Meng’s legal team said. The asylum office did not respond to As- sociated Press contacts by phone and email, and the French Interior Ministry said it does not comment on indi- vidual cases. Grace Meng told the AP that the guarantee of being able to stay in France, where Meng Hongwei was stationed with Interpol, offers her family greater security while she pursues her struggle to get information from China about her husband’s wherea- bouts and even whether he is still alive. “If France hadn’t pro- tected me, I would have been killed ages ago,” she said. “It’s a second life for us, me and my children.” Her last communication with her husband was an emoji of a knife he texted her from China shortly before he disappeared on a trip to Bei- jing last September. Chinese authorities subsequently an- nounced that Meng Hongwei was in detention, accused of corruption. He was expelled from the ruling Communist Party and from his office as vice min- ister of public security, a title he retained after his 2016 election to the presidency of Interpol, the international po- lice liaison organisation head- quartered in Lyon, France. Grace Meng claims her husband is a victim of po- litical persecution in China. There are suspicions that he fell out of favour with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has carried out a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption and perceived disloyalty that observers say is calculated to strengthen party control while bringing down potential challengers to his authority. Last week, Chinese pros- ecutors indicted Meng Hongwei on charges of ac- cepting bribes, accusing him of abusing his positions to “illegally accept cash and property in return for per- forming favours for others”. Grace Meng said that China has failed to provide a shred of evidence to support the accusations. MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Fili- pinos voted Monday in mid- term elections highlighted by a showdown between Pres- ident Rodrigo Duterte’s al- lies who aim to dominate the Senate and opposition candi- dates fighting for checks and balances under a leader they regard as a looming dictator. Nearly 62 million Fili- pinos have registered to choose among 43,500 candi- dates vying for about 18,000 congressional and local posts, including 81 governors, 1,634 mayors and more than 13,500 city and town coun- cillors in 81 provinces, in one of Asia’s most rambunctious democracies. Final results are expected to be declared in at least a week for national posts and a few days for local positions unless specific outcomes come under protest. Many see the elections as a crucial referendum on Du- terte’s rise to power with a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has left thou- sands dead, his unorthodox leadership style, combative and sexist joke-laden out- bursts and contentious em- brace of China. “President Duterte’s name is not on the ballot but this is very much a referendum on his three years of very dis- ruptive yet very popular pres- idency,” Manila-based analyst Richard Heydarian said. The outcome will show whether the Filipino populace affirms or rejects Duterte’s au- thoritarian-style leadership in an Asian bastion of democ- racy, Heydarian said. Wearing casual clothes, Duterte cast his vote at a school in his hometown in southern Davao city before voting closed at nightfall. He told reporters that he was ready to step down if all his candidates lose. Asked about his three children, who are running in the elections, Duterte said he wished they would abandon politics. He warned his daughter, Sara, who is run- ning for re-election as Davao city mayor and has been seen as a possible successor for him, that the presidency “will just destroy you”. The most crucial races are for 12 seats in the 24-member Senate, which Duterte wants to fill with allies to bolster his legislative agenda. That includes the return of the death penalty, lowering the age for criminal liability of child offenders, and revising the country’s 1987 constitu- tion primarily to allow a shift to a federal form of govern- ment, a proposal some critics fear may be a cover to remove term limits. Military and police forces were on full alert to respond to any violence, especially in security hot spots that in- clude the entire southern re- gion of Mindanao, and to help prevent cheating amid in- tense local political rivalries. Two explosions were re- ported in southern Magu- indanao province, including one grenade blast shortly before voting started at 6am that caused no inju- ries. In Lanao del Sur prov- ince, also in the south, three men in a parked van were arrested after they tried to hurl a grenade at soldiers guarding a voting centre in Marantao town. The grenade hit the van’s window and ex- ploded in the van, wounding one of the three suspects, who also possessed a home- made bomb, army brigade commander Col. Romeo Brawner said. Despite pockets of vio- lence, Commission on Elec- tions spokesman James Jimenez said the campaign has been relatively peaceful compared to past years. Po- lice say 20 people have died in poll-related violence. In Manila’s financial dis- trict of Makati, former Vice President Jejomar Binay protested after his ballot was rejected by an auto- mated counting machine, one of at least 400 such ma- chines which malfunctioned, Jimenez said. An AP journalist wit- nessed ballots jamming in a voting machine, which a poll worker repeatedly banged on and shook until the pa- pers went through. In some instances, the worker had to pull out the ballot, which emerged with its sides badly frayed. The machines were last used in the 2016 presi- dential election. “It’s not really a show stopper,” Jimenez said, adding that the malfunc- tioning machines were a fraction of about 85,000 used in the elections and would not affect the outcome. At least two mayoral can- didates have been put in po- lice custody elsewhere but one was later freed and al- lowed to vote. In two southern provinces, gunfire wounded several people, police said. Opposition aspirants con- sider the Senate the last bastion of checks and bal- ances given the solid dom- inance of Duterte’s loyal- ists in the lower House of Representatives. Last year, opposition sen- ators moved to block pro- posed bills they feared would undermine civil liberties. Duterte’s politics and key programmes, including his drive against illegal drugs that has left more than 5,200 mostly poor urban suspects dead, have been scrutinised on the campaign trail and defended by close allies run- ning for the Senate, led by his former national police chief Ronald dela Rosa, who en- forced the crackdown when the president took office in mid-2016. Aside from the drug kill- ings, Duterte’s gutter lan- guage and what nationalists say is a policy of appease- ment towards China that may undermine Philippine territo- rial claims in the South China Sea have also been the cause of protests and criticism. A 3-6 May survey by inde- pendent pollster Pulse Asia showed 11 Duterte-backed senatorial candidates and four other aspirants in the winning circle, including only one from the opposition. The survey also showed some fa- vourites had narrow leads and a considerable number of voters were undecided, in- dicating a chance the results could change. The survey of 1,800 respondents had a margin of error of 2.3 per- centage points. The most crucial races are for 12 seats in the 24-member Senate, which Duterte wants to fill with allies to bolster his legislative agenda. Filipinos show indelible ink on their forefingers as proof that they have voted Monday, in Manila, Philippines. - PHOTO: APNext >