ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY 2019 Dirk Peterson checks out a giant sponge during an Innerspace deep dive on Little Cayman’s Bloody Bay Wall. – PHOTO: DREW MCARTHUR, DIVETECH Little Cayman giants abound in ‘Sponge Belt’ Food prices rise as inflation reaches 3.3% MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com Although the inflation rate to dropped to 1.7% in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017, general price increases of 4.8% in the second and 3.5% in the third quarter meant that inflation kept pace with the forecast economic growth for the year. The average inflation rate reached 3.3% in 2018, following 2% in 2017 and deflation of 0.6% in 2016. The Economics and Sta- tistics Office estimated in the third quarter of 2018 that Cayman’s gross domestic product growth would hit 3.4% for the year. The highest price increases in the basket of goods that make up the consumer price index were re- corded for food and non-alcoholic beverages, which were on av- erage 4.6% more expensive than a year earlier. Bread and cereals especially saw significant price growth, of 9.3%. The price of fruit went up by 7.1%; mineral water, soft drinks and juices all were 6.9% more expensive; and vegetable prices grew by 6.8%. The cost of housing and util- ities, which represents nearly a third of the weighted basket of goods in the consumer price index, was the second largest price driver with a 3% increase in 2018. However, it was mainly the av- erage cost of electricity, which jumped 15.4%, and the cost of water (5%) that caused higher costs, whereas rental costs, housing maintenance and gas prices re- mained stable, the Economics and Statistics Office report noted. Health costs rose by 2.1%, NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@pinnaclemedialtd.com The crew from Divetech and a group of di- vers returned to Grand Cayman Saturday after exploring the depths of Little Cayman. Some 42 divers and instructors, taking part in Divetech’s 15th annual Innerspace event on 18-25 May, dropped as deep as 330 feet and spent as long as three hours under- water on each dive. At those depths, the terrain is considerably different from what recreational divers, who can go to a maximum depth of 130 feet on a tank of air, see on their dives. Drew McArthur, a Divetech instructor who led the deepest dives during Innerspace, said, “It was the sponges that blew my mind … they were fascinating.” He described what is called the ‘Sponge Belt’, which appears at about 200 feet. “Coral we normally see at the 40 to 100 feet depths die out, they cannot live down there. The hab- itat changes; the abundant coral disappears and it leaves open ground for sponges to thrive. The sponges we found in the Sponge Belt were absolutely mammoth. “Some of the barrel sponges were big enough to fit a diver with tanks and re- breather. They could swim inside them. And the elephant ear sponges were gargantuan.” He was so taken with the sponges on the deep wall at Little Cayman that he missed at least one exciting encounter. “One day I was staring at a sponge and all the different formations of it, and didn’t even notice a hammerhead shark swimming right behind me,” he said. “I missed the ham- merhead completely because I was looking at the sponge.” Since McArthur was also acting as the photographer on the dive, he had reason to be peeved. However, there were other op- portunities to see and photograph plenty of sharks and other wildlife on the multiple dives. “There were a lot of sharks throughout the week, mainly reef sharks, and a couple of hammerheads,” he said, as well as a large number of a green sea turtles. The divers broke into three groups for the week, with one group diving to about 140 feet on air, but using rebreathers; an- other going to 200 feet on Normoxic Trimix with Divetech owner Joanna Mikutowicz; and the third group dropping to about 330 feet with McArthur on Hypoxic Trimix. Unlike with conventional scuba gear where divers breathe in air from the tank on their back through the mouthpiece and breathe PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL NEWS of its public coffers when providing services such as legal aid. “It is not incumbent on the State to seek through the use of public funds to ensure total equality of arms between the assisted person and the opposing party. The impor- tant thing is that there be a rea- sonable opportunity given for each side to present their case under con- ditions that do not place him or her at a significant disadvantage,” Justice Ingrid Mangatal stated in her judgment. She added that the Chief Immi- gration Officer is not represented by a lawyer at the tribunal phase and, “therefore the appellants were not at any, or any substantial disadvan- tage, vis-à-vis the [Chief Immigra- tion Officer] due to lack of legal aid”. In August 2017, Chief Immigra- tion Officer Wesley Howell made a series of recommendations to im- prove the asylum process for mi- grants. One recommendation was to establish a written policy and pro- cedure manual to be given to mi- grants upon arrival, explaining the Cayman’s asylum process. Howell did not respond to repeated re- quests for comment made since August 2017 on whether such a manual had been created. Migrants continue to complain that they do not fully understand their rights in the Cayman Islands and that interpretation services are at times lacking. Mangatal’s judgment points out that the men had the assistance of a translator and a medical doctor, who acted as a ‘McKenzie friend’ but who is not trained as a lawyer, to assist them with their cases at the tribunal stage. David said the men now have two choices: to appeal the issue of no legal aid for a fee of $200 or to proceed to the tribunal either without representation or with a self-funded lawyer. Justice Mangatal’s judgement states that the current system in Cayman neither violates Article 16 of the Refugee Convention, estab- lishing refugees have free access to courts of law, nor Section 7 of the Cayman Islands Bill of Rights, es- tablishing the right to a fair trial. “… there is in my judgment, nothing about the system itself up to this point that has been demon- strated to be unfair. In my judgment, any potential unfairness is suscep- tible to control which the law pro- vides by way of access retrospec- tively, to appeal to the Grand Court if the wrong approach or due pro- cess has not been observed,” Man- gatal stated. She added that “neither Article 16 of the Refugee Convention nor Section 7 of [the Bill of Rights] can be construed as to mean that the government is obliged to grant legal aid to every asylum seeker at each and every stage of their applicant and subsequent appeal process. There is no ideal in this world and public funds are scarce”. Public funds are used to house and feed migrants throughout their asylum process. Migrants on super- vised release have stated they receive $750 a month for housing and $160 a month for food and other goods. The appeals process in such cases can last for years. Several ap- plicants have been in the Cayman Islands for more than three years. In response to training concerns for tribunal members regarding asylum matters, government is in the process of establishing a ded- icated Refugee Protection Ap- peals Tribunal. Crown counsel Michael Smith in- dicated in court that work is under way to get the tribunal operational. He said members received a week of training by immigration judges from the United Kingdom and that he was in the process of drafting rules of procedure for the new tri- bunal. Once those rules of proce- dure are approved, the tribunal will start hearing asylum cases, in- cluding those of the seven men from the Grand Court trial. Government has not indicated when the tribunal will become op- erational, but Smith said on 10 May that it could begin hearing cases as early as late June. WEDNESDAY, 29 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. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) ALADDIN (PG) 12:50 I 7:20 I 9:05 3D UGLY DOLLS (PG) 1:00 I 3:15 I 5:30 POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU (PG) 1:00 I 6:30 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM (R) 1:15 VIP I 3:45 I 6:45 I 8:15 VIP 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) 2:00 I 4:20 VIP I 7:45 3.2% -0.4% -7.2% -2.7% 1.2% 1.2% 1.3% 2.7% 2.8% 3.1% 3.0% 20072008200920102011201220132014201520162017 Cayman Islands: Growth in Real GDP 2007 - 2017 Cubans grapple with gov’t over legal aid KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Seven Cuban migrants who suc- cessfully appealed the handling of their asylum cases before the Grand Court will find themselves back at square one and without the aid of a lawyer. In a 10 May ruling, the court found the Immigration Appeals Tri- bunal, previously tasked with ac- cepting or denying asylum applica- tions, had not properly considered the men’s cases and had committed errors that amounted to a miscar- riage of justice. That decision means the men will have a second chance to make their cases for asylum be- fore a forthcoming Refugee Pro- tection Appeals Tribunal hearing – the Grand Court does not have the power to grant asylum but can eval- uate the tribunal process based on points of law. While the men were granted legal aid for their Grand Court ap- peal, they will not be afforded such services in future, according to at- torney Alastair David, who repre- sented them in court. David had argued that previous denial of legal aid at the tribunal phase had put the men at a dis- advantage, given their lack of un- derstanding of Cayman Islands law, but the court did not support his argument. “We lost the point about legal aid before the Grand Court,” David said. “So the situation is that there is no legal aid before the [Immigra- tion Appeals Tribunal] or the Ref- ugee Protection Appeals Tribunal.” To prepare the men’s cases and represent them at the tribunal, which will make the final decision on whether to grant asylum, David said his fee would be US$3,000 per client. During the asylum process, ap- plicants are not granted the right to work. With the appeals process often extending for years at a time, that means the Cubans do not have an income to help pay their own legal fees. The court’s 10 May ruling estab- lishes that the right to free legal ac- cess is not absolute and that the state must consider the constraints Police capture fraud suspect Police took into custody a Nigerian man who the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said was wanted in connection with incidents of fraud. The RCIPS issued a pho- tograph and a public appeal for assistance in locating Ken- neth Emeka Ajana on Monday. He had arrived in Grand Cayman on 23 May. On Tuesday, the RCIPS stated that Customs and Border Control officers, with the assistance of police officers, had taken Ajana into custody “without incident”. The RCIPS released this photo of Kenneth Emeka Ajana. Seven Cuban migrants received legal aid funding when they appeared before the Grand Court, but will have no legal aid when they appear for the second time before the Refugee Protection Appeals Tribunal.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY 2019 CAMANA BAY WELCOMES RED’S EMPORIUM Located on the Crescent Monday–Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. | Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. RedSailCayman.com | +1.345.640.9849 Red’s Emporium, the retail location of Red Sail Sports in Camana Bay, offers affordable fashion for work and play with unique gifts and accessories. Shoppers of all ages will find something for everyone at Red’s Emporium, including the ability to book Red Sail Sports excursions that leave straight from Camana Bay. Dive into Red’s Emporium today for your shopping fix! CAMANABAY.COMThe 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” While we appreciate government’s prudence in establishing a framework for organ donation and tissue transplant procedures, the matter is – quite literally – one of life and death. Already, Cayman’s patients and their families have been waiting years for on-island options: The Human Tissue Transplant Law was passed in 2013. The Human Tissue Donation and Transplant Regula- tions in 2018. The body charged with oversight, the Human Tissue Transplant Council, was formed last August, with its members appointed soon after. So it is disheartening to learn we may have another year to wait before the council begins licensing tissue banks and making provisions for organ donations here, as the Compass reported this week. Leaders of the Human Tissue Transplant Council are working with government health offi- cials to “develop a framework to guide the opera- tions of the Council and prioritise their work”, as Ministry of Health Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn told the Compass in a recent email. In fact, the council has met only once since it was created, the Compass learned. Council member Robert Hamaty stressed the importance of due diligence, telling our reporter that things are progressing behind the scenes. “As soon as that chairman calls a meeting, we’ll attend,” he said. If anyone understands the urgency of this issue, it is Hamaty, himself a transplant recipient and longtime champion for organ donation. As he told the Compass last year, “My donor, in his last hour, gave me a lifetime.” We urge him and fellow Human Tissue Transplant Council members, par- ticularly Chairwoman Gina Berry, to remember that the stakes could not be higher for many Cayman families facing long waiting lists and exorbitant costs for overseas procedures. Paving the way for organ transplants would minimise these extra stressors, along with the psy- chological strain of undergoing life-altering medical procedures far from home. It would allow Cayman Islanders to bequeath vital organs to those who need them after they are gone. Officials at Health City and the Health Services Authority told the Compass they have qualified transplant physicians on staff and are, or soon could be, ready to perform these life-saving surgeries. Certainly, those in need of heart or kidney or liver transplants are more than ready. We urge officials and council members to work diligently, and quickly, to implement processes and procedures that protect patient safety and ensure high standards of care. Work swiftly to approve organ transplantation WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS UK voters reject the ‘muddled middle’ MOHAMED A. EL-ERIAN This year’s elections for the European Parliament have sent very loud mes- sages to the European Un- ion’s politicians. Under- standing these messages may prove a lot easier than acting on them. And nowhere will this be clearer than in the UK, where the two main- stream parties took quite a drubbing. Frustrated by a Brexit process that has consumed almost three years of na- tional debate and yet is still unable to reach a deci- sive outcome, British voters turned out in larger num- bers to humiliate the es- tablished parties. Conserv- atives saw their vote tally slip to fifth place in an elec- tion won by the Brexit party, a new entity capitalising on political anger. While faring a little better than its tra- ditional rival, Labour expe- rienced a substantial fall in voter support, including among historically ultra-safe constituencies. While some may disagree with this, I interpret this re- sult as involving two clear messages to British politi- cians from their electorate. First, an important part of the population is, to put it bluntly, fed up with the “muddled middle approach” to Brexit that has repeatedly gotten marred by indecision instead of opting for either leaving the EU – preferably via an orderly exit deal with the other member countries, but even without one – or holding a second referendum to create a more legitimate path for remaining in the Eu- ropean bloc. Second, voters want to break out of a legislative pa- ralysis that has seen British Parliament’s time consumed by endless Brexit debates and political manoeuvring, and this at the expense of virtually all other initia- tives (including those needed to boost productivity and growth at a time when the UK is facing considerable challenges in a more difficult global environment). The election could also be read as an endorsement of Theresa May’s decision to step down as prime minister after a tenure undermined by the inability of Parlia- ment to pivot from what lawmakers do not want on Brexit to an iterative solu- tion. Yet, despite the clear messages from the elec- torate, her successor – and there are already many in the Conservative Party who aspire to 10 Downing Street – will not find it hard to break the logjam unless the next prime minister insists on one of the “corner solu- tions” and, with that, un- derwrite tricky but inevi- table trade-offs. Moreover, another protracted period in search of the elusive middle will be rendered more dif- ficult by a worsening eco- nomic situation. Absent a breakthrough, the cumulative impact of the last three years of economic and institutional uncertainty is likely to grow, leading to greater fragility in consump- tion decisions, investment activity and inflows of for- eign direct investment. The impact on growth, produc- tivity and the standard of living would be further chal- lenged by what has become a much more fluid and un- friendly global economy, es- pecially for an outwardly oriented economy such as the UK. As such, the journey to a Brexit outcome, what- ever the destination ends up to be, is likely to become in- creasingly risky and costly for the UK. The loud messages from the European elections were not limited to the UK. Indeed, they could even carry some insights for US politics in the run-up to the November 2020 elections. In a vote that saw a sig- nificant surge in what his- torically has been rather low turnout, politicians in many other European countries should interpret the majority of voters as desiring a re- form of the EU from the in- side. Also, with the Green parties doing particularly well in several countries, in- cluding Germany, the em- phasis on environmental sustainability came across loud and clear. Like the UK, however, the problem that EU politicians will face going forward re- lates less to interpreting the electorate’s clear signals and more to acting on them. Yet another erosion of the political middle (that is, centre left and centre right) means higher risk of frag- mentation in the European Parliament and beyond, with the less centrist parts of the political spectrum – par- ticularly the Greens and the far right – now entitled to greater voice, representation and influence on outcomes. Yet they, too, have very dif- ferent views on priorities and timing. Have no doubt, European voters have given clear mes- sages to their politicians. De- livering on them, however, will be far from easy. Absent bold political leadership, the result could well be further frustration, political anger and economic stagnation – and the higher risk of na- tional and regional polarisa- tion that comes with all that. Mohamed A. El-Erian is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the chief economic adviser at Allianz SE, the parent company of Pimco, where he served as CEO and co-CIO. His books include ‘The Only Game in Town’ and ‘When Markets Collide.’ © 2019, Bloomberg Opinion The loud messages from the European elections were not limited to the UK. Indeed, they could even carry some insights for US politics in the run-up to the November 2020 elections.The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY 2019 The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY 2019 CAYMAN COMPASS out exhaled air in the form of bubbles, rebreathers allow the divers to breathe their own air over and over again, and produce no bubbles. The divers use Trimix, a mixture of oxygen, air and helium, to reach the depths that cannot be reached with the use of normal air tanks or nitrogen-oxygen mixes. Adding helium to the mix re- duces the risk of nitrogen narcosis while doing deep dives, and as oxygen can be- come toxic at deep depth, it is replaced with helium. At depths of 200 and 300 feet, the light begins to fade and the dive is reminiscent of a night dive, McArthur said. He said there were also “layers” at 200 and 300 feet. “The wall cascades and drops down, and there is a ledge where you can drop down a level”, he said. “It is no- table at 200 feet and another 100 feet below at 300. Each one seems to have a thermo- cline, which means the water gets a little bit colder, and it gets noticeably darker.” For the divers, the vast majority of whom were visi- tors, the most attractive thing about taking part in Inner- space this year was being able to explore a part of the underwater world of Little Cayman where “arguably no one has ever been before”, McArthur said. Getting all the equipment, tanks, rebreathers and gases to Little Cayman was a logis- tically complicated operation that took months of planning and implementation. Some of the equipment was shipped over by barge, while Cayman Airways delivered the rest to the island. Much of the gases needed for the dives are not available on Little Cayman, so the Divetech crew had to make sure they had every- thing they needed before the Innerspace dives began. One extra complication is a worldwide shortage of he- lium, McArthur explained. “The helium we use to make Trimix, there is a lim- ited supply. People have been saying for years and years that helium for divers will run out soon,” he said. A few months ago, Di- vetech put in an order for 15 large canisters of helium for Innerspace from its sup- plier, but was told none was available. After some negotia- tions and “panicking” because the spaces for the event were pre-sold, McArthur said, “in- stead of 15 [canisters], they could get us five a month”. Next, that pure helium had to be mixed with the other gases to make the Trimix. “Our concern was, if we messed it, there would be no helium left to correct it,” McArthur said. It all worked out well in the end, although the “prepa- ration work to get all this to happen was colossal – a lot of sleepless nights and gray hairs”, he said. The team worked with Reef Divers in Little Cayman on the event, and the divers were transported to the dive sites on Reef Divers boats. “They were incredibly supportive and helpful,” McArthur said. The team is already thinking about next year’s event. Little Cayman giants abound in ‘Sponge Belt’ Steve Reichenbach, centre, with fellow divers Gary Lemme, right, and Woody Alpern. A group of Innerspace divers approach a giant barrel sponge. - PHOTOS: DREW MCARTHUR, DIVETECH Divers on the Hypoxic Trimix dive descend. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 John Strang rounds a coral outcrop on Bloody Bay Wall.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Hedge Funds Care Cay- man’s Committee of Hope is hosting its second an- nual Hawaiian Luau event on Thursday night, dubbed ‘Ha- waii Three-0’. The fundraiser will be held at the Royal Palms Beach Club, starting at 5:30pm. Attendees are invited to kick off their shoes, break their loud, flowered shirts out of the closet, and don a Hawaiian lei for the occa- sion. There will be limbo on the beach, followed by flame- throwing fire dancers and the chance to win one of a host of raffle prizes. Raffle tickets will be on sale on the night. The Hawaiian word luau refers to the young ed- ible leaves of the taro plant. These leaves were tradition- ally used to wrap food that was placed in an imu (under- ground oven) for a feast. Proceeds from all Com- mittee of Hope events go to Hedge Funds Care Cayman, a charity designed to fund or- ganisations that prevent and treat child abuse in Cayman. Hedge Funds Care Cayman is part of an interna- tional organisation made up of hedge fund professionals. The Committee of Hope was formed to further support the charity by hosting semi- annual events, each being a combination of fundraising, networking and fun, co- chaired by Carol Reynolds, executive director of Queens- gate Bank & Trust and Sherri Fleming, director of PwC. Past popular events include the annual Oktoberfest, Ha- vana Nights, and the Cayman Night at the Races Derby. Tickets for the luau are $55 per person and include dinner and two drinks. Email committeeofhope@queensgate. com.ky for more information. CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY 2019 largely due to higher prices for medicinal products (14.5%) and pharmaceutical products (4.6%). The price for clothes, meanwhile, were 2.1% higher, but the cost of foot- wear declined by 3.3%. The average cost for the maintenance and repair of personal transport equip- ment was 10.9% higher than in 2017, the cost of fuels in- creased by 6.5% and motor vehicles were on average 3.6% more expensive. In contrast, spirits and alcoholic cordials saw a price decline (8.2%), and wine was marginally cheaper (0.3%) last year. The statistics office also provided informa- tion on Cayman’s core in- flation rate, which follows the methodology used by the US Bureau of Labor Sta- tistics and excludes ‘vol- atile items’ such as food and non-alcoholic bever- ages, as well as all fuel- related items including piped gas, electricity, motor fuels, fuel oil and other household fuels. Core inflation, which is used as a measure of price stability, was, at 0.4%, significantly lower in the final quarter of 2018 than the overall CPI inflation rate of 1.7%. Since 2008, food prices have increased by more than 34%, household equip- ment by more than 23% and clothing by 22%. How- ever, these and other price increases, like higher costs for transport (20%), educa- tion (17.4%) or health (6.7%), were somewhat offset by lower housing and en- ergy costs (-16%) during the period. Food prices rise as inflation reaches 3.3% CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Hawaiian Luau fundraiser supports Committee of Hope From left, Julie-ann Allard, Claire Loebell and Susan Lock wore their leis with pride last year. POLICE SEIZE GANJA PLANTS IN BODDEN TOWN Police seized 38 mature ganja plants from a location in Bodden Town last week. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service confirmed the 22 May seizure on Tuesday. According to the police press release, officers con- ducted an intelligence-led operation in the vicinity of Ranch Road, Bodden Town, acting on information that ganja was being cultivated in the area. Police said they were still investigating the matter.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Sports Illustrated sold for $110 million Sports Illustrated magazine has been sold for $110 million to Authentic Brands Group, a company that specialises in managing fashion, entertainment and sports brands, including marketing rights to Shaquille O’Neal and Muhammad Ali. Knife-wielding man attacks schoolgirls in Japan, killing 2 KAWASAKI, Japan (AP) – A man carrying a knife in each hand and screaming “I will kill you!” attacked a group of schoolgirls near a school bus parked at a bus stop just out- side Tokyo on Tuesday, killing two people and injuring at least 17 before killing him- self, officials said. Most of the victims were students at a Catholic el- ementary school who were lined up at the bus stop near Noborito Park in the city of Kawasaki when the man began slashing them with knives. Officials said police captured the attacker but he died at a hospital from a self- inflicted cut in his neck. Witnesses described a hellish scene: children and adults falling to the ground, some with their shirts soaked with blood, dozens of chil- dren running and screaming for help, and school bags and books scattered on the ground. “I heard a scream so I stopped and turned around to see what happened. It was not a normal tone of voice,” said Yasuko Atsukata. She said she saw one person col- lapse, and then another. “The colour of their white shirts turned red after they col- lapsed, then I understood they got stabbed.” In a nearby parking lot, a frightened-looking boy was in shock with scratches on his face, hands and legs, ap- parently from falling to the ground as he ran for his life. Police identified the at- tacker as Ryuichi Iwasaki, a 51-year-old resident of Kawa- saki, and said they were still checking his occupation. The attacker’s motive was not im- mediately known. Police found two more knives in the man’s knap- sack in addition to the two he was holding, according to media reports. Iwasaki reportedly lived with his elderly uncle and aunt and was known as a troublemaker. A neighbour said Iwasaki repeatedly rang her doorbell early one the morning about a year ago and yelled at her husband that he had been hit by a tree branch sticking out from their yard, the Sankei news- paper reported. Kawasaki city official Masami Arai said most of the injured were students at Caritas Gakuen, a Catholic school founded by Soeurs de la Charite de Quebec, an or- ganisation of Catholic nuns in Quebec City in Canada. Arai said three of the injuries were serious. Kanagawa prefectural po- lice confirmed 17 people were injured and three others had died, including the attacker. Police identified the two other fatalities as 11-year- old Hanako Kuribayashi and Satoshi Oyama, a 39-year- old government employee who was taking his child to the bus stop. Hospital officials said both had been slashed in the neck and the head. Caritas Chairman Tetsuro Saito said at a news confer- ence that he was “struggling to fight back my anger”. “My heart is broken with pain when I think of the in- nocent children and their parents who send their chil- dren to our school with love who were victimised by this savage act,” he said. School officials said they will step up security meas- ures at the school, including adding more security guards. But the incident raises ques- tions about how schools can ensure the safety of chil- dren while commuting. Jap- anese children often walk to schools in groups. Witnesses said that as the attack unfolded, the bus driver shouted at the at- tacker, and as he was run- ning away he cut his own neck, collapsing in a pool of blood as police seized him. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was outraged by the attack. “Many small children were victimised, and I feel strong resentment,” Abe said as he was hosting President Donald Trump on a four- day state visit, which ended Tuesday. “I will take all pos- sible measures to protect the safety of children.” Although Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, it has had a se- ries of high-profile killings, including in 2016 when a former employee at a home for the disabled allegedly killed 19 people and injured more than 20 others. Farage claims pro-Brexit momentum after divisive UK vote LONDON (AP) – British eu- rosceptic Nigel Farage said Monday that his new Brexit Party’s victory in the Euro- pean election should spur Britain to leave the Euro- pean Union even without a divorce deal – a call echoed by many senior Conserva- tives, stung by their party’s humiliating defeat. Farage’s single-issue party and pro-EU forces combined to trounce Brit- ain’s two dominant political parties in the European Par- liament election, as angry voters blamed the ruling Conservatives and the oppo- sition Labour Party for the country’s Brexit impasse. With complete results an- nounced Monday, the Brexit Party had won 29 of the 73 British EU seats up for grabs and almost a third of the votes. On the pro-EU side, the Liberal Democrats took 20% of the vote and 16 seats – a dramatic increase from the single seat in won in the last EU election in 2014. The opposition La- bour Party came third with 14.1%, followed by the pro- European environmen- talist Greens, who captured nearly 12.1%. The Conserva- tives – apparently blamed by voters for failing to deliver Brexit in March as planned – were in fifth with under 10% of the vote. The election leaves Brit- ain’s EU exit more uncertain than ever, with both Brexi- teers and pro-EU ‘remainers’ able to claim strong sup- port. The result raises the likelihood of a chaotic “no deal” exit from the EU – but also the possibility of a new Brexit referendum that could reverse the decision to leave. A triumphant Farage said he doubted the Conserva- tives, who are seeking a new leader, would be able to take Britain out of the 28-nation bloc on the currently sched- uled date of 31 Oct. “The Conservative Party are bitterly divided and I consider it to be extremely unlikely that they will pick a leader who is able to take us out on the 31st October,” Farage said. He said his party – which currently has no members and no policies apart from leaving the EU – would “stun everybody” in the next British general election if the country didn’t leave the EU on time. British Prime Minister Theresa May, who is step- ping down as Conserva- tive leader next month after failing to deliver Brexit, said the “disappointing” result of the European vote “shows the importance of finding a Brexit deal, and I sincerely hope these results focus minds in Parliament”. But the election instead is likely to harden the uncom- promising stance of the can- didates vying to succeed her. On Monday, Home Secretary Sajid Javid became the ninth Conservative lawmaker to enter the race for the top job. “First and foremost, we must deliver Brexit,” he said. Boris Johnson, the cur- rent favourite to replace May, tweeted: “The message from last night’s results is clear. It is time for us to de- liver Brexit.” 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 a recession. But many Conservatives think embracing a no-deal Brexit may be the only way to win back voters from Far- age’s party. Labour paid for a fence- sitting Brexit policy in which it dithered over whether to support a new referendum that could halt Brexit. Some senior Labour figures said after the party’s weak per- formance that it must now firmly back a new refer- endum on Britain’s depar- ture from the bloc. Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has long resisted a new referendum, but Labour economy spokesman John McDonnell suggested that might change. He said the best way of stopping a damaging no-deal Brexit was “going back to the people in a referendum, and that’s what I think our members want”. The election leaves Britain’s EU exit more uncertain than ever, with both Brexiteers and pro-EU ‘remainers’ able to claim strong support. Rescuers work at the scene of Tuesday’s attack in Kawasaki, near Tokyo. – PHOTO: AP Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage arrives at the party’s HQ, prior to an event to mark the gains his party made in the European Elections, Monday in London. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL NAMCHE, Nepal (AP) – Ne- pal’s reluctance to limit the number of permits it issues to scale Mount Everest has contributed to dangerous overcrowding, with inexpe- rienced climbers impeding others and causing deadly delays, seasoned moun- taineers said. During the short period this season when the weather was clear enough to at- tempt the summit, climbers were crammed crampon-to- crampon above South Col’s sharp-edged ridge, all clipped onto a single line of rope, trudging towards the top of the world and risking death as each minute ticked by. “There were more people on Everest than there should be,” said Kul Bahadur Gu- rung, general secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Asso- ciation, an umbrella group of all expedition operators in Nepal. Eleven people have died on Everest this season, the highest number since 2015. Most are believed to have suffered from altitude sick- ness, which is caused by low amounts of oxygen at high el- evation and can cause head- aches, vomiting, shortness of breath and mental confusion. Once only accessible to well-heeled elite moun- taineers, Nepal’s booming climbing market has driven down the cost of an expe- dition, opening Everest up to hobbyists and adventure- seekers. They are required to have a doctors’ note deeming them physically fit, but not to prove their stamina at such extreme heights. Because of the altitude, climbers have just hours to reach the top before they are at risk of a pulmonary oedema, when the lungs fill with liquid. From Camp Four at 26,240 feet to the 29,035 foot peak, the final push on Everest is known as the ‘death zone’. The conditions are so in- tense at such times that when a person dies, no one can afford to expend energy on carrying the body down from the mountain. “Every minute counts there,” said Eric Murphy, a mountain guide from Bell- ingham, Washington, who climbed Everest for a third time on May 23. He said what should have taken 12 hours took 17 hours because of struggling climbers who were clearly exhausted but had no one to guide or help them. Just a handful of inex- perienced climbers, he said, is “enough to have a pro- found effect”. The deaths this year on Nepal’s side of the moun- tain included Don Cash, a sales executive from Utah, and Christopher Kulish, an attorney from Colorado, who both died on their way down from the peak. Nepal does not have any regulations on the books to determine how many per- mits should be issued, so an- yone with a doctor’s note can obtain one for a $11,000 fee, said Mohan Krishna Sapkota, secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. This year, permits were issued to 381 people, the highest number ever, ac- cording to the government. They were accompanied by an equal number of guides from Nepal’s ethnic Sherpa community. Some climbers were originally issued per- mits in 2014 that were re- voked mid-season when 16 Sherpa guides died in an av- alanche and other Sherpas, whose support as guides and porters is essential, effec- tively went on strike. Another factor was Chi- na’s limit on the number of permits it issued for routes in its territory on the north side of Everest this year for a clean-up. Both the north and south sides of the moun- tain are littered with empty oxygen canisters, food pack- aging and other debris. Instead of the over- crowding, Sapkota blamed the weather, equipment and inadequate supplemental ox- ygen for this year’s deaths. “There has been concern about the number of climbers on Mount Everest but it is not because of the traffic jam that there were casualties,” Sap- kota said in Namche, the town that serves as the staging area for Everest trips. Still, he said, “In the next season we will work to have double rope in the area below the summit so there is better management of the flow of climbers.” Instead of limiting the number of people who at- tempt to reach Everest’s peak, Saptoka said Nepal’s government will encourage even more tourists and climbers to come “for both pleasure and fame”. Mirza Ali, a Pakistani mountaineer and tour com- pany owner who reached Ev- erest’s peak for the first time this month, on his fourth at- tempt, said such an approach was flawed. “Everybody wants to stand on top of the world,” but tourists unprepared for the extremes of Everest en- danger the entire industry, he said. “There is not a sufficient check on issuing the permits,” Ali said. “The more people come, the more permits, more business. But on the other side it is a lot of risk because it is costing lives.” BRUSSELS (AP) – France and Germany appeared on a col- lision course Tuesday over who should hold one of the European Union’s most cov- eted jobs, after weekend elections across the 28-na- tion bloc redrew Europe’s political map. Arriving in Brussels for an EU summit, French Presi- dent Emmanuel Macron vir- tually ruled out the prospect of German politician Man- fred Weber replacing Jean- Claude Juncker as the new president of the bloc’s ex- ecutive arm, the European Commission. Juncker’s term at the com- mission, which proposes EU laws and makes sure they are enforced, is due to end on 31 Oct. and leaders from across the continent are gathering in Brussels to debate who should succeed him. Macron told reporters that his preferred choice for the post would be someone who has “experience either in their country or in Eu- rope that allows them to have credibility and savoir faire”. That appeared to be a swipe at Weber, who has never served in government or a major institution like the commission. Weber, 46, has led the conservative Eu- ropean People’s Party group – the biggest group in the EU assembly – since 2014. Macron said Denmark’s Margrethe Vestager, who is the commissioner respon- sible for competition mat- ters, would be a suitable re- placement as would Michel Barnier, the Frenchman who has led the EU’s Brexit nego- tiations with the EU. Getting Barnier to head the commis- sion would mark a fillip for Macron following the strong showing of the French far- right in Sunday’s elections. German Chancellor An- gela Merkel, whose ruling co- alition suffered losses at the polls, notably to the Greens, continues to back Weber. “I as a member of the EPP family will of course work to support Manfred Weber,” she said. Both the EPP and centre- left Socialists got battered in Sunday’s elections as voters concerned about climate change, migration or security turned instead to the Greens, the pro-business ALDE group – of which Macron’s party will now be a member – or far-right parties. As a result, it’s unclear what workable majority will emerge in the European Par- liament when lawmakers gather in July. EU leaders are also ex- pected to discuss other top jobs in the bloc during their dinner later, including who will replace Donald Tusk as European Council President. Tusk, who chairs the meet- ings of EU leaders, is also due to stand down from his job at the end of October. EU leaders are also ex- pected to discuss who will replace Federica Mogherini as the bloc’s next high rep- resentative – essentially the foreign minister – and who will succeed Mario Draghi as the next head of the Euro- pean Central Bank. CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 29 MAY 2019 You’re in control with Scotiabank Alerts Register for ScotiaOnLine or download the Scotiabank Mobile App today. Learn more on ky.scotiabank.com It’s free to set up and use Get notified immediately Receive personalized notifications about activities and account(s) via push notifications or email. Security Alerts Credit Card Controls Transaction Alerts ® Registered trademarks of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. FRANCE, GERMANY CLASHING OVER JUNCKER’S SUCCESSOR AT EU Juncker’s term at the commission, which proposes EU laws and makes sure they are enforced, is due to end on 31 Oct. and leaders from across the continent are gathering in Brussels to debate who should succeed him. Deaths rise on Mount Everest Eleven people have died on Everest this season, the highest number since 2015. A long queue of mountain climbers line a ridge on Mount Everest. – PHOTO: APNext >