ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY, 28 MAY 2019 High of 86 Low of 75 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 A DAY (OR TWO) TO CELEBRATE COMMUNITY WORLD | PAGE 8 UK BREXIT PARTY SCORES BIG AS CONSERVATIVES, LABOUR BASHED Unemployment rate drops to 2.8% Lowest rate since 2006 MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Estimates from the Fall 2018 Labour Force Survey show that the unemployment rate has fallen to 2.8%, the lowest rate since the second half of 2006, when it stood at 2.6%. Caymanian unemployment has fallen to 4.6%, which is also the lowest it has been since 2006 when it bottomed out at 3.6%. Overall unemployment is now signifi- cantly lower than in the second half of 2017 when the unemployment rate was 4.9%, and lower than in spring 2018 when the rate had already dropped to 3.4%. The decline in unemployment coincided with a 7.5% rise in the total labour force, which reached 46,178 workers in 2018, the highest number to date. Based on the survey, the Economics and Statistics Office estimates that 44,887 people were employed in Cayman’s economy, an increase of 9.9% compared to a year ear- lier. In contrast, 1,291 people were seeking work, a decline of 38.1% from the same pe- riod in 2017. The growing labour force is in line with Cayman’s population growth. The Labour Force Survey estimates that Cayman marks decade of shark conservation ORGAN TRANSPLANTS STILL IN LIMBO SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s health facilities are still in a holding pattern when it comes to performing organ transplants, despite the fact that gov- ernment has passed laws and regulations re- garding the procedure. Cayman’s Legislative Assembly passed the Human Tissue Transplant Law in 2013 and the Human Tissue Donation and Trans- plant Regulations in 2018, and both are cur- rently in effect. A Human Tissue Transplant Council was formed last August in accordance with the Transplant Law. But despite some progress on the legislative front, there’s still work to be done before Cayman patients can have trans- plants performed locally, said Jennifer Ahearn, chief officer of the Ministry of Health. “Given the significant medical and social complexities associated with tissue trans- plant procedures, the Ministry has been col- laborating with the chair and deputy chair to develop a framework to guide the operations of the Council and prioritise their work,” said Ahearn via email. She said the council’s responsibilities in- clude oversight of the import and export of human tissue, establishing a donor registry, and the issuance of a permit or licence to au- thorised facilities for human tissue transplant. “The Ministry believes that it is essential that we develop this process in a manner that ensures the highest standards of care, safety and quality for our community, as well as any patient visiting these shores,” she added. “At the same time, we are very conscious that OVERALL UNEMPLOYMENT 2.8% CAYMANIAN UNEMPLOYMENT 4.6% PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » A reef shark passes by a monitoring station as a nurse shark, bottom, takes a closer look at the Baited Remote Underwater Video equipment. - PHOTO: DOE This year marks the 10th an- niversary of a collaboration be- tween Cayman’s Department of Environment and the UK-based Marine Conservation Interna- tional aimed at protecting sharks in local waters. Part of the work being carried out involves gathering data on the shark populations found in Cayman. According to researchers, the findings are hopeful. “Our data suggest the overall abundance of sharks in Cayman Islands’ waters is currently higher than in most of the Car- ibbean,” said Marine Conserva- tion Co-Director, Mauvis Gore, a professor at Heriot-Watt Uni- versity in Edinburgh. “However, the numbers are not quite as high as in a few places – such as Bahamas and Belize – where sharks have been protected for longer periods.” The partnership between Ma- rine Conservation International and the DoE led to the 2009 cre- ation of the Shark Conservation Cayman programme, which was initially called Cayman Islands Large Marine Predator Pro- gramme. The programme helped push for the complete protec- tion of sharks and rays under the Cayman Islands National Conservation Law, which took PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY, 28 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 (PG) 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) ALADDIN (PG) 12:50 I 4:25 3D I 7:20 I 9:05 3D UGLY DOLLS (PG) 1:00 I 3:15 I 5:30 POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU (PG) 1:25 I 4:00 I 6:30 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM (R) 1:00 VIP I 3:45 I 4:00 VIP I 6:45 I 9:50 BRIGHTBURN (R) 12:30 I 2:50 I 5:10 I 7:30 I 10:15 THE HUSTLE (PG13) 9:50 AVENGERS: END GAME (PG13) 12:30 I 7:45 CLASSICS @ THE CINEMA: OUT OF AFRICA (PG) 7:00 VIP Visiting Specialist will be available for consultation at Novo Clinic, Britcay House 236 Eastern Avenue from 4 June - 24 June, 2019 For appointments please call +1 (345) 746-6082 clinic@novocayman.com Gynecology, Urogynecology, Cosmeti c Gynecology School inspectors give Triple C and Wesleyan weak ratings MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two of Cayman’s private schools have been found lacking in their educational offerings in new reports from the Office of Educa- tion Standards. Both Triple C School and Wesleyan Christian Academy were rated “weak”, the lowest designation on a four-tier scale. Both will be re-in- spected within six months. Triple C report While Triple C School’s middle school and high school programmes were deemed largely satisfactory, evaluators found a signifi- cant hole in the school’s el- ementary grades. Student attainment and progress was rated weak in all sub- ject areas in the elemen- tary grades. Teaching was also judged to be weak in that area. “The quality of teaching was satisfactory in early years, middle and high school but weak in elemen- tary,” the report said. “The highest proportion of good teaching in the school was noted in non-core subjects, particularly, in music, phys- ical education and elemen- tary art lessons.” Triple C Principal Mable Richardson said she did not want to comment extensively on the report. “I disagree, of course,” she said of the findings, but indicated the school would comply with the recommendations. The school’s weakest per- formance was in teaching mathematics, with attain- ment being weak in early years, elementary and middle school grades. “Only a minority of middle phase students could add and subtract negative numbers without a number line or apply the order of op- erations rules correctly,” the report noted. In addition, the inspec- tors faulted the school for the following: ■■ Not challenging students’ critical thinking, with “most teachers [using] questioning that only re- quired factual answers”; ■■ Failing to provide oppor- tunities for advanced stu- dents who “often sat and waited for more work or played games in lessons because their teachers had not planned ac- tivities that sufficiently challenged them”; ■■ Weak leadership; and ■■ Failure to correct known problems as “most areas for improvement identified in an ex- ternal accreditation re- port from 2014 had not yet been addressed”. The report also found im- mediate safety problems, citing the school for not having properly stored chem- icals in its science lab, saying it required “urgent attention”. There was also no approved current environmental health report for the school. The evaluators praised the school for its “strong Chris- tian ethos” and for having good ties to the community. Wesleyan Christian Academy report Similar comments were made about Wesleyan Chris- tian Academy. That report said the school’s environment promoted learning because “Christian values of care, compassion, respect and tol- erance are demonstrated by almost all students daily.” But the Wesleyan report also found systemic prob- lems in student achievement and teaching quality, espe- cially in the upper grades and particularly in the area of science. “There were serious weak- nesses in the school’s curric- ulum,” the report said. “It was too narrow and the weak re- sources and sequencing of science and non-core sub- jects led to weak progress in those areas. The school’s own assess- ment data and external Stan- ford 10 SAT results corrob- orates that attainment and progress are weak in the high school.” In particular, the inspec- tors said, the curriculum of- fered “limited coverage of appropriate topics in sci- ence, social studies, informa- tion technology, music and physical education or oppor- tunities for writing for dif- ferent purposes”. Principal Daphne Ellis, who is in her second year heading the school, said she thought the report was “un- balanced” and failed to rec- ognise the strengths of the school’s individualised curriculum. The report found that “students were not well pre- pared in the skills needed for college or career success”, but Ellis argued that was not the case, saying that two of this year’s graduates are headed to overseas colleges on schol- arships. She did not recall the names of the colleges. She pointed out the school came in third place in last year’s Brain Bowl Academic Tournament and had two fi- nalists in an essay competi- tion sponsored by Rotary. The report cited Ellis’s “satisfactory” leadership as a strength of the school, saying it “has led to significant im- provements in the quality of education in the kinder- garten since the previous inspection”. “I’m aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and staff,” Ellis said. While she does not plan to replace the current curric- ulum, she said changes are always being made. “There are things that are being done in addition to the curriculum that are in place,” she said. “We will con- tinue to build.” Both Triple C School and Wesleyan Christian Academy were rated “weak”, the lowest designation on a four-tier scale. Both will be re-inspected within six months. George Town’s Triple C School, pictured, and West Bay’s Wesleyan Christian Academy will be re-inspected in six months, after both were rated ‘weak’ in the latest Office of Education Standards reports. Police seek suspected fraudster Police are seeking a sus- pected fraudster who flew into Grand Cayman last week. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service issued an appeal Monday for public assistance in locating Ken- neth Emeka Ajana, a Nige- rian national. Ajana, 50, arrived on Grand Cayman on Thursday, 23 May. He is wanted in re- lation to various incidents of fraud. He is described as being about 5 feet, 8 inches in height, of dark complexion, and with a heavy build. Anyone who has seen him, or who may have any information about his whereabouts, is asked to contact Detective Sergeant John Williams at 926-0646. Officers assaulted while making arrest Two police officers were assaulted Monday while responding to an altercation between an man and a woman on Eastern Avenue. After speaking to both parties, they informed the 19-year-old man that he was under arrest on sus- picion of assault, insulting the modesty of a woman, causing fear of provocation of violence and theft. The man became ver- bally and physically ag- gressive toward the officers, according to po- lice. He resisted arrest, causing injury to both of- ficers and damaging a watch that one of the of- ficers was wearing. The suspect was even- tually subdued and taken into custody. He was fur- ther arrested on suspi- cion of resisting arrest, damage to property and assaulting police. The officers were treated for their injuries and later released from hospital. The man re- mained in police custody at press time. The RCIPS released this photo of Kenneth Emeka Ajana.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 28 MAY 2019 Multi-faith seminar to include Christian, Hindu and Muslim speakers CUC closes first tranche of largest debt issuance MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Caribbean Utilities Com- pany has closed the first US$40 million tranche of an US$80 million private place- ment. The funds will be used to repay short-term debt and to finance ongoing additions and upgrades to its elec- tricity generation, transmis- sion and distribution system. Richard Hew, CUC presi- dent and chief executive of- ficer, said, “Significant capital investments are necessary to sustain a reliable electricity service to Grand Cayman, which CUC has remained com- mitted to for over 50 years.” Cayman’s utility provider is issuing three series of US$20 million 3.83% Senior Unsecured Notes that are due 28 Aug. 2039, US$40 million 4.14% Senior Unsecured Notes due 24 May 2049 and US$20 million 4.14% Senior Unse- cured Notes due 28 Aug. 2049. The US$40 million Series B 4.14% Notes closed last Friday. The debt offering was privately placed with in- stitutional investors in the United States with RBC Cap- ital Markets acting as sole placement agent. The CUC chief executive said it was the company’s largest debt issuance to date. “We are pleased to have been able to secure this fi- nancing on such favourable terms. This is a reflection of the continued stability and strong credit ratings of the Company and the jurisdiction as a whole,” Hew said, adding that CUC’s strong credit rat- ings had helped the company secure access to the cap- ital markets. The second tranche of US$40 million, consisting of the Series A 3.83% Notes and the Series C 4.14% Notes is scheduled to close on 28 Aug. 2019. The notes will not be regis- tered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 or under any state securities laws. This means the notes may not be offered or sold except with an exemption from, or in a trans- action not subject to, the reg- istration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. CUC provides electricity to Grand Cayman under a non-exclusive Electricity Generation Licence that ex- pires in 2039 and an exclu- sive Electricity Transmission and Distribution Licence ex- piring in 2028. Director changes Cayman’s electricity pro- vider also announced the res- ignation of Alphonsus Delaney as director of CUC, following his retirement from Fortis Inc. R. Scott Hawkes, the pres- ident and chief executive of- ficer of Fortis Ontario, has been appointed to the CUC board of directors. Hawkes has many years of leadership experience in electric utility operations and the governance of pub- licly traded companies, CUC said in a press release. He previously served as corpo- rate secretary at CUC and vice president of corporate services, general counsel and corporate secretary at Fortis Ontario before rising to his current position as CEO. KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com On his jacket lapel, Tahir Chaudhry wears a pin that succinctly states his life phi- losophy: Love for all. Ha- tred for none. That is the message he would like to impart this Sat- urday during a free, multi- faith seminar at George Town Town Hall. The ‘My Faith … Loyalty to Cayman’ programme will in- clude speakers representing Christianity, Hinduism and Islam in an effort to build bridges and understanding be- tween Cayman’s communities. Chaudhry, an imam and missionary, is spearheading the event on the part of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Commu- nity, with the support of the Celebrate Cayman’s 60 Acts of Service initiative. The weekend of 1-2 June will include a full schedule of community-oriented events across Cayman, of which the multi-faith seminar is just one facet. Chaudhry said the Ah- madiyya community has hosted similar multi-faith gatherings all over the world. He sees the events as a way to push back against the fear, prejudice and misunder- standing that can often come with religious and cultural differences. “I enjoy these platforms where we can sit down peace- fully and respectfully, and un- derstand that we have a lot more similarities than we do differences. We all want Cayman to be a peaceful, loving country,” Chaudhry said. The event is not meant as a means to evangelise or con- vert anyone to a particular religion, but rather intended to open dialogue on what can often be a difficult subject area. Among the stated event objectives is promoting inter- faith respect, harmony, inclu- siveness and diversity. “We have so many nation- alities here and everyone has their own beautiful message or their own beautiful life- style. So we wanted to bring awareness to all of the dif- ferent communities so we can have a healthier society,” Chaudhry said. “I’m not saying ‘become Muslim’. That’s not my goal. My goal is just so we have an understanding, so we have a relationship, so we can walk hand in hand and de- velop this Cayman society for a better future. And what better way than at the occa- sion of the 60th [anniversary] celebrations.” The event will allow a representative from each re- ligion to speak, and then the floor will open to a 45-minute question-and-answer session. Chaudhry said the only requirement for attendance is arriving with an open mind. “This provides a platform where people can openly … ask anything they want. No question is a bad ques- tion,” he said. “We have strong multicul- turalism here on this island. We wanted to bring everyone together. We have not had any negative feedback, by the grace of God.” The seminar will begin at 6pm Saturday, 1 June at George Town Town Hall. For more information on the seminar and a full list of events during the 60 Acts of Service weekend, visit www.celebratecayman.ky/60acts. “ We have so many nationalities here and everyone has their own beautiful message or their own beautiful lifestyle. So we wanted to bring awareness to all of the different communities so we can have a healthier society.” TAHIR CHAUDHRY, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community “ Significant capital investments are necessary to sustain a reliable electricity service to Grand Cayman, which CUC has remained committed to for over 50 years.” RICHARD HEW, president and chief executive officer, CUC Tahir Chaudhry, left, and Ali Shahan Butt will be participating in Saturday’s multi-faith seminar, hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Richard Hew Police find missing bull JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Belford Estates woman who offered a $1,000 re- ward for the return of her missing bull was reunited with the animal last week after police located it. Diahann Ebanks’s prized, 1-year-old bull ‘Bobo’ dis- appeared from near her home in Bodden Town last Wednesday. The animal had been tied up on the land near her home, by the four- way junction at the entrance to Belford Estates. After Bobo went missing, to get the community’s at- tention, Ebanks posted on her WhatsApp that she was willing to pay $1,000 to an- yone having information about the whereabouts of her missing bull. “The cow was in that spot for a week or two, but Wednesday morning when I went to feed him, he was gone, rope and all,” she said. Early the next day, Bodden Town police, re- sponding to the report of the missing animal, found the bull grazing in the vi- cinity of Sitwell Road after they conducted a search around the Belford area. Po- lice confirmed that the an- imal was retrieved and re- turned to its owner. Ebanks and her mother had searched Belford Drive for the missing bull on Wednesday, but could not find him, so Ebanks’s mother went to the Bodden Town Police Station the next morning to report the bull’s disappearance. While she was at work, Ebanks said she received a call from her mother that the police had lo- cated the bull. “They found the cow down by the government affordable homes, tied to a fence post. Cow don’t tie himself,” Ebanks said. She said she believes someone deliberately re- moved the bull from the yard, which has a “whole lot of green grass in it”. She added, “Even if the cow had got away, he wouldn’t have gone nowhere. That is where his water drum is and he had a whole pile of grass for him to eat over there.” Ebanks said she is con- cerned that there is nothing she can do to protect Bobo, who is just over a year old, from being stolen again. “I can’t put a chain and padlock around his neck, and I can’t put him inside the house,” she said. Diahann Ebanks posted this picture on WhatsApp with a reward $1,000 for information on ‘Bobo’, her missing bull.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 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” A community is more than a place, it is also a feeling. A sense that, for all our differences, in many important ways we succeed or fail together. Although intangible, that spirit of togetherness can be as valuable a part of the social fabric as a newly painted house, a much-needed bag of groceries or a beautiful new garden path. This weekend’s Celebrate Cayman 60 Acts of Service aims to give our community a boost in both senses of the word. We urge all of Cayman’s residents and visitors to participate. Today is the final day to sign up to join a project, which can be done by visiting Celebrate Cayman’s website at www.celebratecayman.ky/60acts. There, readers will find project descriptions, dates, times, restrictions and needed skills, equipment and supplies. At press time on Monday, there were plenty of spots available to help with any number of worthy endeavours, from transforming the front area at Cayman Brac’s Kirkconnell Community Care Centre rest home into a garden oasis, building water and trash can stations at the YMCA Teambuilding Tower and Field of Dreams, or helping to clean up public areas like Barkers Beach or the people’s monument on Shedden Road. We are pleased to see so many community groups participating in this weekend’s initiative. For example, the Jamaica Diaspora Cayman Association will be giving the Frances Bodden Children’s Home a fresh coat of paint, the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens will carry out home repairs and yard cleanups at Windsor Park, and many other community groups and work- places will be taking part. The planned events are varied, reflecting the pri- orities and interests of diverse groups and individual ‘project champions’ who designed, funded, organised and will carry them to fruition, whether that be pro- moting respect, harmony and inclusiveness through an interfaith discussion, keeping children safe by holding bus safety demonstrations or fighting hunger ‘on the spot’ by establishing a network of mobile volunteers. Volunteer ‘citizen journalists’ will chronicle the week- end’s activities. Not unlike the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in the United States, Celebrate Cayman 60 Acts of Service is a chance to show the power of indi- viduals in collaboration. An important goal is that participants will “feel a deeper and long-lasting con- nection and appreciation for the Cayman Islands and its culture”, as Celebrate Cayman Chairman Alfonso Wright stated. Organisers say they hope the two-day community impact initiative, inspired by a growing global movement, will “start a culture shift of national pride”. Indeed, we have much to be proud of. Exhibit ‘A’ is the initiative, hard work and community-minded spirit of the groups and individuals who are stepping up to help with this weekend’s 60 Acts of Service. A day (or two) to celebrate community TUESDAY, 28 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Huawei sanctions raise complex questions DAVID JESSOP Being a head of govern- ment or a foreign minister is a thankless task. Although normally ad- vised by a small number of able civil servants and am- bassadors, the pressure that senior politicians personally experience can be acute, par- ticularly when they have to make choices affecting na- tional security or a country’s international relations. For small states such as those in the Caribbean, such decisions require a high de- gree of subtlety if the re- gion’s diverse development, trade, investment and secu- rity interests are to remain balanced and driven by na- tional interests. Despite the positive and important nature of the Car- ibbean’s long-standing and close functional ties with the US, its political and dip- lomatic skills are likely to be exhaustively tested as the re- gion seeks to manage its fu- ture relationship with both Washington and Beijing. This is because China and the US now appear to be moving beyond skirmishing over trade towards what could very easily become an economic war. As has been widely re- ported, the White House has been rapidly escalating its tariffs on Chinese goods in the belief that such meas- ures will slow China’s rise to equivalent superpower status, and a related wish to protect the US economy. On 15 May, the US took a step that has much broader implications. It decided to invoke national security to add the Chinese telecommu- nications giant Huawei to an ‘entity list’ which requires US companies to obtain a li- cence before being able to trade with it. The decision, unless re- versed, is expected over time to halt the sale of Huawei mo- bile devices and equipment and cut off access from users of Huawei phones to apps such as Gmail and YouTube. More importantly, it seeks to pre-determine who will pro- vide the next generation of 5G mobile internet services that will vastly improve eve- rything from streaming to fi- nancial transactions. As such, the measure has far-reaching consequences re- stricting other nations’ choice of technology as they and their providers upgrade their telecommunications systems. Already the decision has caused Google and others to stop supplying Huawei with Android software, and others to halt the sale of microchips and components in order to meet US government require- ments: steps that will have far-reaching effects on third country governments and consumers alike. The decision has shocked US tech companies, threat- ening to divide the global technology world and cause consumers everywhere to have little choice but to de- cide with which operating system and supplier their future lies. It may also have an indirect effect on tourism destinations’ attractiveness as western visitors expect to be able to access internet ser- vices though devices using Android operating systems. Some think the US deci- sion might be an escalation intended to add to the pres- sure placed on China to reach a new trade agreement. Others are not so sure. They cite comments by the US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, in which he said that the sanctions will enable the US “to determine the appropriate long-term measures for Americans and foreign telecommunications providers that currently rely on Huawei equipment for critical services”. The Huawei decision at- tempts to draw a line of fun- damental historic impor- tance. It marks the start of an economic and technology-led cold war that, for political, historical, cultural, and eco- nomic reasons, China could well assess it no longer has any wish to avoid. China has time on its side because of its political system, still growing military strength, broad-based invest- ments and trade relations, es- pecially with the developing world. This and its com- mitment to multilateralism, means that it has many more political and trade options as it seeks to become a global technological power. It is therefore hard to es- cape the view that unless the US and China can find a way to accommodate each other and de-escalate, every country that has sought a positive relationship with both superpowers may have to find new ways to navigate the increasingly dangerous waters between the two. For the Caribbean, this is particularly complicated as not only is it geographi- cally proximate to the US, but the rupture is occurring just as the region is hoping to broaden its future invest- ment and trade relationship with Washington. As CARICOM Secretary General Irwin LaRocque noted recently, the region wants the US to extend the World Trade Organisation waiver for the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act beyond its expiry this De- cember to allow Caribbean goods continued non-recip- rocal duty-free access to the US market. Moreover, CARICOM al- ready has in place a detailed understanding with the US on security providing for a wide range of regional initi- atives and is developing new energy initiatives. Despite this, most of the region also wants a positive and close relationship with China, ideally of the ‘second generation’ kind that is now developing rapidly with the Dominican Republic. How transactional the US intends to be when it comes to negotiating new trade deals with the Caribbean re- mains to be seen, but the se- lection of a limited number of Caribbean heads to attend the Mar a Lago meeting with President Trump in March and recent statements on re- lations with China, Venezuela and Cuba by his National Se- curity Adviser John Bolton do not bode well. In the coming months, Caribbean leaders will have to balance the region’s de- velopment needs, the huge sums China has for infra- structure and investment, with the importance of main- taining a close relationship with the US. All of which suggests they will require something more than the wisdom of Solomon. David Jessop is a consultant to the Caribbean Council and can be contacted at david.jessop@Caribbean-council.org. © 2019, David Jessop. China and the US now appear to be moving beyond skirmishing over trade towards what could very easily become an economic war.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, 28 MAY 2019 Rotaract Blue’s ‘Open Arms Gala’ encourages inclusivity VICTORIA WHEATON vwheaton@pinnaclemedialtd.com Members of Rotaract Blue, the service club with a mem- bership of 18-30 year-olds, created a night of glitz and glamour at Ristorante Pappa- gallo on Saturday night. The Gatsby-themed evening raised funds for spe- cial needs organisations on the island and featured an awards presentation to par- ents and workers in the spe- cial needs field. Guest speaker Mechon Ebanks gave an inspira- tional speech about the chal- lenges and joys that she and her husband, Tommy Ebanks, had faced, raising their daughter Mimi. She spoke of how the local community had supported them at difficult times, and how it continued to support them. She subsequently encour- aged audience members to be more aware of families in sim- ilar situations and explained that simply reaching out to them could make a difference. The event included a cock- tail hour, three-course dinner, silent auction and raffle. LFLM Architecture + Interiors bought a table for the evening. - PHOTOS: DEEP BLUE IMAGES Spencer Turner raises a glass for the cause. From left, Racquel Sutherland, Antoinette Johnson (Open Arms Award recipient) and Anita Smith. From left, Susie Bodden, Fiona Moseley, William Pare, Lori McRae and Lynne Curry enjoy the cocktail hour.From left, Ornella Leahong, Brian Ogilvie and Bianca Hunt Ristorante Pappagallo was decorated in the glitzy Gatsby theme.Leanna Jarvis and Fernando Burton Francesca Hamann, left, and president of Rotaract Blue, Rene Dixon. The Sunrise Adult Training Centre table (sponsored by Maples).The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 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. TUESDAY, 28 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, 28 MAY MUSEUM SPEAKER SERIES: Alvin McLaughlin discusses Collecting and Caring for East End’s Historical Objects. 6pm at the museum on Harbour Drive. General admission, $10. Members, $6. Includes refreshments and entrance to all exhibits. RSVP to 949-8368 or shenicemcfield@museum.ky. ROAD WORKS: Water Authority – Cayman advises the motoring public of restricted access to Maclendon Drive (off Dorcy Drive) through to Friday 31 May. Access will be restricted from 9am to 4pm. During this time, local access only to businesses and residences in the area will be available and representatives of the Authority will be on hand to direct traffic. Traffic signs will be posted in the general vicinity and all motorists are asked to drive with caution. CHILD MONTH: Snuggle & Read, Prospect Primary School, 6:30-9pm. DISASTER PLANNING: As part of Senior Month, Hazard Management Cayman Islands will hold a Disaster Planning Preparedness session at the Church of God Chapel in Bodden Town, 10am to 1pm. WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY COMMERCE AND INVESTMENT: The Department of Commerce and Investment advises that their office will be closed to facilitate staff training. DCI will resume normal business hours on Thursday, 30 May. BUILDING SAFETY MONTH: Information Booth, Kirk Home Centre, 10am to 1pm. THURSDAY, 30 MAY CRUISE PORT REFERENDUM MEETING: George Town Town Hall. 6-8pm. The public are invited to attend for the latest updates on the petition for a people’s initiated referendum on the proposed cruise port. Email CPRCayman@gmail. com for more details or visit the Facebook page @CPRCayman, or call or WhatsApp 328-8187. CHILD MONTH: Snuggle & Read, Cayman Academy, 6-8pm. Trivia Game Night, Cayman Brac, Aston Rutty Civic Centre, 6-9pm. FRIDAY, 31 MAY CHILD MONTH: Trivia Game Night, George Town Town Hall, 6-9:30pm. SATURDAY, 1 JUNE CHILD MONTH: Cupcake Wars, The Ritz-Carlton hotel, 10am to noon. For further information, contact Dept. of Children and Family Services, 949-0290. THURSDAY, 6 JUNE HIGH SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY: All former students of St. Ignatius High School are invited to our 25th anniversary social 5:30-7pm in Loyola Hall. Admission is free. RSVP to sicaymanalumni@gmail.com. SATURDAY, 8 JUNE OCEAN DAY, ENVIRONMENT DAY: World Ocean Day Clean Up and Girl Guides Environment Day. All are invited to join the Girl Guides, Plastic Free Cayman and Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation at South Sound Community Centre for a beach cleanup and Environment Fair. Beach cleanup, 8-9:30am. Bring a reusable water bottle, gloves and a hat. Bring a mug/plate or bowl for refreshments at the fair, 9:30-11am. In the spirit of being waste free, no plates or cups provided. GENERAL INTEREST COUNSELLING SERVICES: The Family Resource Centre and the Counselling Centre have moved. They are now with the Department of Counselling Services at their new home on Mary Street, at 87 West Apollo House. Hours are Mondays and Fridays from 9am to 1pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am to 7pm, and Wednesdays 9am to 4pm. 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: Cayman Islands Humane Society Thrift Shop. Located in Venetia Plaza, next to China Village. The Thrift shop is open Tuesday – Saturday 9am to 2pm. Closed on Sunday and Monday. The phone number is 945-5596 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events Alvin McLaughlin will discuss ‘Collecting and Caring for East End’s Historical Objects’ at 6pm on Tuesday, 28 May, at the National Museum. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 28 MAY 2019 Cayman’s population ex- panded by 3.8% last year to reach 65,813 in December 2018. The Caymanian pop- ulation increased 2.3% to 36,705, whereas the non- Caymanian population is estimated to have grown by 5.1% to 23,168. Long-term data shows that the growth in the la- bour force and in the number of foreign workers did not impact the total number of out-of-work Cay- manians, which peaked at close to 2,000 in 2012. Since then the labour force increased from 38,800 to nearly 46,200 today, while the number of unemployed Caymanians halved to 996. The unemployment rate among Non-Caymanians also fell from 2.1% in De- cember 2017 to 0.5%, but permanent residents with the right to work saw their unemployment rate move from 4.4% to 4.7%. The PR population jumped from 5,488 in the fall of 2017 to 5,940 persons in 2018. many people in the commu- nity are looking ahead to a time when they and their loved ones will be able to benefit from these procedures without leaving the Cayman Islands, or register as organ and tissue donors to benefit others after they have passed on.” The Human Tissue Trans- plant Council, which is chaired by attorney Gina Berry, includes Dr. Diane Hislop-Chestnut, heart transplant survivor Robert Hamaty, Reverend Nicholas Sykes and a chosen dele- gate of the Commissioner of Police. It has met just once since its formation, and its members are appointed until August 2020. Ahearn said that it could be as long as a year before the council is fully operational. “While a timeline for the Council to become fully op- erational has not yet been agreed upon,” said Ahearn on behalf of the Ministry of Health, “it is expected to be about another 12 months when we hope to work with facilities that will be li- censed to operate as tissue banks and making provi- sions for the donation of tissue from living persons or removal of tissue from de- ceased persons”. The Human Tissue Trans- plant Law stipulates that the council’s job is to advise the ministry on policy, as well as monitor the donation of tissue by living individuals and the removal of tissue from deceased people. The council also has the remit to regulate and supervise any business carried out in the Cayman Islands regarding the purchase of tissue and the right to take tissue from bodies. Hamaty, who underwent a heart transplant more than two decades ago, said that Cayman would be the first Caribbean island to establish an organ procurement pro- gramme, and he stressed the importance of getting every- thing right before its enact- ment. Due diligence, he said, will take time and effort. “As soon as that chairman calls a meeting, we’ll attend,” he said of the Human Tissue Transplant Council. “There’s a lot of legality involved. There’s things that have to happen, but it’s happening.” And while the wheels are turning on the other end, local health providers are getting ready. Cayman’s hospitals are gearing up to meet the de- mand for transplants locally. Dr. Delroy Jefferson, chief medical officer for the Health Services Authority, said that is the next frontier. “It clears the way for local facilities to do trans- plants,” said Jefferson of the Human Tissue Trans- plant Law and the corre- sponding regulations. “We’ve not done any, because the fa- cility has to have that func- tion – the equipment, the op- erating room. If we’re going to do renal transplant or liver transplant, that’s outside the scope of our services now. But we have qualified trans- plant physicians on staff.” Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, the chief cardiac surgeon at Health City Cayman Islands, said that everything is in place for his hospital to per- form kidney transplants as soon as the legal red tape has been cut through. “If that transplant law is done, we’re ready to start with kidney transplants,” he said. “Once the kidney transplants start, within six months, we’ll start with a cardiac transplant program. Then liver transplants. We have the current personnel. Everybody is there. We have a kidney transplant surgeon, a cardiac transplant surgeon and a liver transplant sur- geon recently joined also. We have all the manpower.” Robert Hamaty, a heart transplant survivor, is a member of the Human Tissue Transplant Council. effect in April 2015, making it illegal to fish for sharks and stingrays in Cayman waters. According to Gore, large- bodied sharks, such as reef sharks, nurse sharks, ham- merheads and tiger sharks, all of which are found in Cay- man’s coastal waters, have significant tourism value – between US$46 million and US$63 million per year. “Scientists also theorise that sharks, as top marine predators, can help protect coral reefs via a ‘cascade’ ef- fect within the food chain,” a press release from the DoE stated. “Simply put, sharks will eat a certain number of mid- level predators that feed on smaller, herbivorous reef fish,” said DoE-MCI Shark Project Officer Johanna Kohler. “This, in turn, regulates the number of fish that eat algae from reef areas, keeping them clear for coral growth. “We believe there is a cor- relation between a healthy shark population and healthier coral reefs.” The researchers said that, over the past 10 years, there appears to have been a change locally in people’s reactions towards sharks, with fish- ermen less likely to kill sharks when they come across them. “To some extent, the atti- tude in Cayman toward sharks has changed over the past decade. Shark Conservation Cayman has spent a lot of time in local classrooms and talking to local fishermen about these crucial marine species,” Gina Ebanks-Petrie, director of the DoE, said. “Ten years ago, the prevalent view of sharks was ‘if you see one, kill it.’ I believe that people today have a better understanding of why sharks are important to us.” Kohler said contrary to some beliefs, sharks “do not ‘steal’ marine stocks from local fishers”. “Rather, we’ve observed they tend to bolster the num- bers and health of reef fish by protecting them from mid- level predators and also by weeding out some less suc- cessful specimens, keeping the weaker ones from repro- ducing,” she said. Tracking sharks Kohler, a Ph.D. student from Germany, has partnered with DoE and MCI scien- tists for the last three years in Cayman, performing bi- annual shark surveys using Baited Remote Underwater Video cameras, which allow scientists to record sharks in their natural environment without the animals having to interact with humans. Shark Conservation Cayman has also placed tracking devices on more than 50 local sharks over the past 10 years, allowing the scientists to track their movements via acoustic monitoring. The tracking data avail- able tends to show that many Caribbean shark spe- cies have a range of more than 6.2 miles. “This suggests that, to be provided with ad- equate protection, shark spe- cies require marine protected areas on the scale of Cay- man’s recent marine parks enhancement to be put in place throughout the Carib- bean,” Gore said. “When we started the shark project 10 years ago, the DoE identified this area as one where we needed to im- prove our scientific data col- lection and research,” Ebanks- Petrie said. “Now, thanks to this partnership, we have much better information available to help protect these ecologically and economically important predators.” She added, “There is still so much we don’t know for certain about sharks in our waters. We believe more time and diligent study on this project will provide more val- uable insights.” Over the years, Shark Con- servation Cayman has been the recipient of three Darwin Initiative grants from the UK Department for Environ- ment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It has also received donations from local brewery Caybrew via sales of its ‘White Tip’ brand, and sup- port from the Save our Seas Foundation, Foster’s Food Fair, the Southern Cross Re- sort and Ocean Frontiers. Project collaborators in the scientific community in- clude Edd Brooks of Cape Eleuthera Institute, Prof. John Turner of Bangor Uni- versity, Prof. Callum Rob- erts of the University of York, Mahmood Shivji of Nova Southeastern University, and Guy Harvey of the Guy Harvey Research Institute. 682 1,059 1,169 1,788 1,7131,732 1,925 1,818 1,562 1,209 1,406 1,515 996 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000 2006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018 Total labour force and unemployed Caymanians Number of unemployed CaymaniansTotal Labour Force CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Organ transplants still in limbo Unemployment rate drops to 2.8% CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cayman marks decade of shark conservation Members of the Marine Conservation International/DoE team, including Professor Mauvis Gore, centre, lean overboard to place an acoustic tag on a shark. - PHOTO: DOE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY, 28 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS 30 dead, 200 missing in Congo boat sinking Authorities in western Congo say at least 30 people are dead and another 200 are missing after a boat sank on a lake. A local mayor said that many of those aboard the boat that sank on Lake Mai-Ndombe were teachers travelling to collect their paycheques. UK Brexit Party scores big as Conservatives, Labour bashed Trump, Japan’s Abe at odds over North Korean missile tests TOKYO (AP) – President Donald Trump said Monday he is not “personally” both- ered by recent short-range North Korean missile tests and doesn’t believe they vi- olated UN Security Council resolutions, breaking with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is hosting the president on a four-day state visit full of pageantry and pomp. Trump also continued his attacks against former Vice President and 2020 Demo- cratic hopeful Joe Biden, siding with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, who recently criticised Biden as having a low IQ. The visit was designed to highlight the US-Japan alliance and showcase the warm relations between the leaders. Trump said he and Abe deliberated over eco- nomic issues, including trade and Iran, during hours of talks at the Akasaka Palace. But North Korea’s recent firing of short-range missiles emerged as an area of disagreement at a press conference Monday. Asked if he was bothered by the missile tests, Trump said: “No, I’m not. I am per- sonally not.” Japan has long voiced concern about short-range missiles because of the threat they pose to the Island na- tion’s security. Trump also said he disa- grees with the assessment of many experts – as well as his own national security adviser – that the tests violate UN Se- curity Council resolutions. “My people think it could have been a violation,” Trump said. “I view it differently. I view it as a man – perhaps he wants to get attention and perhaps not. Who knows?” Standing beside Trump at a news conference held after hours of talks, Abe, who has forged a strong friendship with Trump and showered him with praise throughout the day, disa- greed with the US president, saying the missile tests were “of great regret”. The Republican president has sought to downplay the significance of the missile tests, even though his own national security adviser, John Bolton, said over the weekend that they violated the UN resolutions. Trump was invited to Japan to be the first world leader to meet with the coun- try’s new emperor. And de- spite being far from Wash- ington, he did not miss the chance to lob another broad- side against Biden. Trump didn’t hold back at the news conference, telling the world he agreed with the authori- tarian North Korean leader’s assessment of Biden and de- claring himself “not a fan”. “Kim Jong Un made a statement that Joe Biden is a low-IQ individual,” Trump said. “He probably is based on his record. I think I agree with him on that.” US officeholders have in the past generally avoided engaging in politics while on foreign soil, hewing to the adage that politics stops at the water’s edge. But Trump’s sharp attack on Biden, through his dec- laration of agreement with Kim, set aside that long- standing norm. Trump continues to hold out hope of getting Kim to agree to give up his nuclear weapons and ballistic mis- siles, even though the two summits he’s had with the North Korean leader have produced no concrete pledge to denuclearise the Ko- rean peninsula. Trump praised Kim, calling him a “smart man” who might have launched the missiles earlier this month to “get attention”. “All I know is there have been no nuclear tests, no bal- listic missiles going out, no long-range missiles going out, and I think that someday we’ll have a deal,” Trump said, adding that he is in “no rush”. Trump is correct that North Korea has not re- cently tested a long-range missile that could reach the US. But earlier this month, North Korea fired off a se- ries of short-range mis- siles that alarmed US allies in closer proximity to North Korea, including Japan. The tests broke a pause in North Korea’s ballistic mis- sile launches that began in late 2017. Abe reiterated his pre- vious statement that the tests were conducted in defi- ance of the UN. “This is violating the Se- curity Council resolution,” Abe said, adding that, as North Korea’s neighbour, Japan feels threatened. “It is of great regret. But at the same time between Kim Jong Un and President Trump a certain new approach was taken and that is something that I pay tribute to.” Trump and Abe held hours of talks Monday after the US president, at Abe’s invitation, became the first world leader to meet Japan’s new emperor, Naruhito, who ascended to the throne on 1 May. LONDON (AP) – Veteran eu- rosceptic Nigel Farage said Britain should get set to leave the European Union without a divorce deal, after a Euro- pean Parliament election saw his Brexit Party and pro-EU forces carve up the UK’s votes at the expense of the long- dominant larger parties. The UK’s governing Con- servative Party was all but wiped out, as pro-Brexit and pro-EU voters both punished it for leading the country into a political impasse, and failing to lead it out of the EU. With results announced Monday for all regions of the UK except Northern Ireland, the Brexit Party had won 29 of the 73 British EU seats up for grabs and almost a third of the votes. The pro-EU. Lib- eral Democrats took 20% of the vote and 16 seats – up from only one at the last EU election in 2014. Labour came third with 10 seats, followed by the pro- European, environmentalist Greens with seven. The ruling Conservatives – apparently blamed by voters for failing to deliver Brexit in March as planned – were in fifth place with just four EU seats and under 10% of the vote. Pro- EU. Scottish and Welsh na- tionalist parties together gained four seats. The election leaves Brit- ain’s EU exit ever more un- certain, with both Brexiteers and pro-EU “remainers” able to claim strong support. La- bour and the Conservatives, who in different ways each sought a compromise Brexit, were hammered. The result raises the like- lihood of a chaotic “no deal” exit from the EU – but also of a new referendum that could reverse the decision to leave. “This is the vote that says, put no-deal Brexit back on the table,” Farage said. A triumphant Farage said his party would “stun every- body” in the next British gen- eral election if the country didn’t leave the EU on the currently scheduled date of Oct. 31. Prime Minister Theresa May, who is stepping down as Conservative leader next month after failing to de- liver Brexit, said the “dis- appointing” result “shows the importance of finding a Brexit deal, and I sincerely hope these results focus minds in Parliament”. But the election is likely to harden the uncompro- mising stance of candidates to succeed her. Most businesses and economists think leaving the EU with no agreement on departure terms and future relations would cause eco- nomic turmoil and plunge Britain into recession. But many Conservatives think embracing a no-deal Brexit may be the only way to win back voters from Far- age’s party. Boris Johnson, the current favourite to replace May and become Britain’s next prime minister, tweeted: “The mes- sage from last night’s re- sults is clear. It is time for us to deliver Brexit and set out our positive plans for the country.” Another leadership con- tender, former Brexit Sec- retary Dominic Raab, said “voters have sent us a very clear message: unless we get on and actually leave the EU they will rightly kick us out at the next election”. Farage’s Brexit Party was one of several nationalist and populist parties making gains across the continent in an election that saw ero- sion of support for the tra- ditionally dominant polit- ical parties. The results reflect an elec- torate deeply divided over Britain’s 2016 decision to leave the EU, but united in anger at the two long-dom- inant parties, the Conserva- tives and Labour, who have brought the Brexit process to deadlock. Labour paid for a fence- sitting Brexit policy that saw the party dither over whether to support a new referendum that could halt Brexit. Some senior Labour fig- ures said after the par- ty’s weak performance that it must now take a strong stance in favour of a second referendum on Brexit, “There should be a [new Brexit] referendum and we should campaign to re- main,” said Labour foreign affairs spokeswoman Emily Thornberry. But party leader Jeremy Corbyn declined to make his position clear. He still said the country needed either a general election or a refer- endum on Brexit. “With the Conserva- tives disintegrating and un- able to govern, and parlia- ment deadlocked, this issue will have to go back to the people, whether through a general election or a public vote,” he said. British politics has been in crisis since electors voted 52%-48% in June 2016 to leave the EU. But its depar- ture, scheduled for 29 March, has been delayed because lawmakers have rejected the divorce terms struck between the government and the bloc. After three defeats for her Brexit deal in Parlia- ment, May threw in the towel on Friday, announcing that she will step down as party leader on 7 June. Britain participated in the EU election because it is still a member of the bloc, but the lawmakers it elects will only sit in the European Parliament until the country leaves the EU. The UK’s governing Conservative Party was all but wiped out, as pro-Brexit and pro-EU voters both punished it for leading the country into a political impasse, and failing to lead it out of the EU. US President Donald Trump, left, speaks as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe listens during a news conference Monday at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo. – PHOTO: AP Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage smiles as he arrives at the counting centre for the European Elections for the South East England region, in Southampton, England. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 28 MAY 2019 EUROPE AT CROSSROADS Far-right, Greens make gains in vote French far-right makes big demands on Macron after small win FUTURE UNCERTAIN FOR CATALAN SEPARATISTS ELECTED IN EUROPE PARIS (AP) – If French far- right leader Marine Le Pen gets her wish, her National Rally party, victorious in the European Parliament elec- tion, will force a dissolu- tion of France’s own parlia- ment and lure opponents to her cause, enlarging her base. But there’s one major road- block: French President Em- manuel Macron. His government immedi- ately made it clear Monday that Macron will not dissolve the National Assembly and will continue to implement planned reforms. Le Pen narrowly defeated Macron’s centrists – by just under a one-point margin – in France’s European Parlia- ment vote Sunday – a ballot that was also considered a very timely national survey of the two rivals. It fuelled Le Pen’s vision of creating a na- tionalist force that counts in both France and Europe. Her National Rally and Macron’s Republic on the Move parties both captured 23 seats in the European Par- liament – one less than her party won in the 2014 election it handily won. But Sunday night’s win had added value because her main opponent was the president of France and her populist allies in Eu- rope, on a roll but not a wave, opened the door to enlarging their small group in the Eu- ropean Parliament – a poten- tial double win. The strongly pro-EU Ma- cron considers his party’s score honourable, given that European elections have often served domestically as a protest vote. The president has faced down weekly pro- tests for six months from the grassroots yellow vest move- ment, seeking social and economic justice that pro- testers say cannot be found in the economic changes Ma- cron is taking to modernise France’s economy. His critics see Macron as “president of the rich”. Le Pen insisted she was not seeking revenge against Macron, who defeated her in France’s 2017 presiden- tial election. “I’m not at all in the spirit of revenge,” she told reporters late Sunday. “I’m already in the future, not looking back.” Macron “put his weight into this battle … and lost”, Le Pen declared. In addition to saying that Macron must dissolve the French parliament, Le Pen wanted a proportional voting system more favourable to her party put into France’s lower chamber – where she serves as one of eight party lawmakers. Le Pen is trying to make the most of the narrow vic- tory, claiming the balance of power is shifting in France. Macron, meanwhile, has made no comment since the election. He was going to Brussels on Tuesday for meet- ings with European leaders, now focussing on trying to build a pro-European ma- jority at the EU. Parliament. His Republic on the Move party was upbeat despite its second-place status. Speaking Monday on French news broadcaster BFM TV, government spokes- woman Sibeth Ndiaye said the election outcome did not trigger “a political crisis”. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the vote showed that Macron’s centrist party – which was only created in 2016 – is now a “stable and undeniable reality”. But he conceded that the far-right “is rooted in the French political landscape”. Macron’s party considers the low scores for France’s traditional political par- ties – from 8% for The Re- publicans conservatives to 6% for the Socialists – as a positive development for its strategy to build a strong centrist majority. Indeed, both Le Pen and Macron have their eyes on the future, notably the 2022 presidential election, but also municipal elections next year, then regional voting. “The French, in the end, will judge us on the results. We had some in the past two years, but clearly not enough,” Philippe said. MADRID (AP) – Three jailed or fugitive Catalan politicians hope to use their freshly won seats in the European Parliament as loudspeakers for their separatist cause in north- eastern Spain – although actually being sworn in as lawmakers will be the first obstacle they have to overcome. The European careers of Catalonia’s former re- gional President Carles Puigdemont, his former No. 2 Oriol Junqueras and ex-Cabinet member Toni Comín depend on a slew of electoral rules and judi- cial decisions. Ironically, those give more chances to the jailed Junqueras than to his two colleagues, who fled to Bel- gium following an unprec- edented push for Catalan independence in 2017. Puigdemont’s and Comín’s attempts to con- tinue internationalising their cause from the Euro- pean Parliament could be thwarted unless they ex- pose themselves to arrest by travelling to Madrid to pick up their lawmaker credentials and taking an oath before Spain’s Central Electoral Board, says an internal regional chamber report that The Associated Press has had access to. Asked during a press briefing how he plans to claim his seat, Puigdemont said on Monday that he believes the Spanish gov- ernment “wants to win in [legal] chambers what they have lost in the ballots”. “We are ready for that battle,” he said, addressing journalists in Barcelona by video link. Junqueras took a different strategy when he was indicted following the staging of a banned referendum and a short- lived independence dec- laration at the end of Oc- tober 2017. He stayed put in Catalonia, showed up in court in Madrid when his summons arrived and has been in preventive custody on preliminary rebellion charges for most of the past two years. BRUSSELS (AP) – European Union leaders and party offi- cials plotted strategy Monday after European Parliament elections ended the domina- tion of the main centre-right and centre-left parties and revealed an altered political landscape where the far-right and environmentalists stand as forces to be reckoned with. French President Em- manuel Macron launched a flurry of meetings, ahead of a summit Tuesday where the 28-nation bloc’s presi- dents and prime ministers will take stock of the results from elections that attracted the highest voter turnout in 20 years. Macron’s Republic on the Move party looks to have secured 23 seats in the as- sembly for the next five years – the same number as the far- right National Rally, whose leader Marine Le Pen was trounced by Macron in na- tional elections two years ago. He was due to hold talks with the leaders of Spain, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia ahead of the dinner summit in Brussels. France was not the only country where voters took their concerns about immi- gration and security to the ballot box. Italy’s populist League party, under hard-line Interior Minister Matteo Sal- vini, is set to become one of the biggest in the 28-nation bloc’s assembly. Belgium’s Vlaams Belang also made significant gains. “The rules are changing in Europe,” Salvini said at his League party headquarters in Milan early Monday. “A new Europe is born.” Provisional results show the League would win 34% of the vote, up from just 6% at the last European election in 2014. The lion’s share of Brit- ain’s seats went to Nigel Far- age’s Brexit Party, as citizens punished the governing con- servatives and opposition La- bour party for their embar- rassing failure to manage the divided country’s delayed de- parture from the EU. Riding what they called Europe’s ‘green wave’ backed by Europe-wide rallies urging climate action, environmen- talist parties made strong gains, notably in Germany, one of the continent’s main forces for EU integration. Another mainstream for- mation, the pro-free-market ALDE group backed by Ma- cron, saw their stake in the 751-seat parliament rise to 109 seats, from 68 in 2014. The picture of a fractured assembly for the next five years was complete as many citizens turned their backs on the centre-right European People’s Party – one of its key figures, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, saw her party lose ground – and the centre- left Socialists. In Berlin, the leaders of Germany’s governing parties met separately to weigh the fallout from their worst post- World War II showing in a na- tionwide election. Certainly the EU polls have signalled an end to a cosy two- party relationship that has en- dured for 40 years. “We are facing a shrinking centre of the European Union parliament,” a subdued EPP lead candidate Manfred Weber said, after just over 50% of the EU’s more than 400 mil- lion voters had turned out over four days in the world’s big- gest transnational elections. “From now on, those who want to have a strong European Union have to join forces.” The Socialist lead candi- date, Frans Timmermans, es- sentially conceded defeat, even though the two groups remain the assembly’s biggest by some margin. Spanish caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was a notable exception, as his vic- torious Socialists looked set to win 20 of the country’s 54 seats in the parliament. Although still trickling in, results show that the EPP is set to secure 182 seats, down from 217 five years ago. The Socialists are slated to win 147, down from 187. The two parties have dom- inated the parliament with a combined majority since elec- tions were first held in 1979. Senior figures from the EPP hold the top posts in the EU’s three main institutions: par- liament president, head of the EU’s powerful executive com- mission and European Council president, who chairs summits of European presidents and prime ministers. While real power in Eu- rope remains in the hands of the 28 member states, the as- sembly’s influence has grown. It’s helped improve air flight safety in Europe, cut down on plastics use, end mobile tele- phone roaming charges inside the bloc, boost data privacy, and cut carbon dioxide emis- sions from cars. The parliament also has an important say in international treaties ranging from trade talks to Brexit. But now new, uncomfort- able alliances must be forged. Weber suggested that the EPP, Socialists and ALDE could form a stable majority at the centre of the political spec- trum, working in concert with the Greens. But ALDE officials, including group lead candi- date Margrethe Vestager, in- sist that Europe’s traditional political certainties are a thing of the past. “The monopoly of power has been broken,” said Ve- stager, currently the EU’s com- petition commissioner, de- scribing Sunday’s polls as “a signal for change”. Party group leaders are likely to signal Tuesday morning what kind of alliance might hold, and who might be the best candidates for the EU’s top jobs. Their deci- sions will set the stage for EU leaders as they gather Tuesday evening to see where the polit- ical pieces lie and discuss po- tential candidates. European Elections ballots are prepared to be counted in a polling station in Rome, Sunday. – PHOTO: AP Far-right National Party leader Marine le Pen Riding what they called Europe’s ‘green wave’ backed by Europewide rallies urging climate action, environmentalist parties made strong gains, notably in Germany.Next >