ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY, 18 JUNE 2019 High of 89 Low of 78 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 FINANCIAL AUDITS: FROM ‘DEPLORABLE’ TO ‘PLEASING’ WORLD | PAGE 8 HUNT BEGINS FOR CAUSE OF HUGE SOUTH AMERICAN BLACKOUT One dead, three injured in Father’s Day violence Witness describes bloody aftermath of domestic dispute JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com One man is dead and a woman and her two children seriously injured after a bloody domestic dispute in West Bay on Father’s Day. A 42-year-old man, originally from Ja- maica, was found dead at the scene Sunday night with a stab wound to his chest. The woman and her two children, aged around 9 and 13, according to neighbours, were taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital with serious stab wounds. They were still in hospital at press time Monday, where their condition was described as serious but not life threatening. Osires Watler, who was visiting family in a neighbouring home, said the woman and her two children had knocked on the door, covered in blood and calling for help. She said the woman claimed her boy- friend had stabbed her and her children and then turned the weapon on himself. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice released a brief statement confirming that “four persons known to each other had been stabbed during an altercation” in the Boatswains Bay area Sunday night. Police confirmed that a man had been found unresponsive and was later pronounced dead. The incident is under in- vestigation and police gave no immediate details of what they believe happened. No one has been arrested at this stage. Delayed mental health facility moving forward MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com The chairman of the Cayman Islands Mental Health Commission says while plans for a new inpatient mental health facility in East End have been delayed, they are still moving forward and he is hopeful the project could be completed within the next year. “We are still on track,” said Dr. Marc Lockhart, a psychiatrist who also serves as the director of inpatient psychiatry and be- havioural health for the Health Services Au- thority, of the 54-bed facility that was origi- nally expected to open earlier this year. Cayman’s building boom is partly to blame. Only one firm bid on the facility was made during the submission process last fall and government officials and the contractor were reported unable to reach agreement on the project details. That led the health min- istry to reformulate the planned construction into five separate projects, which were put out to bid in the spring. Even though the bidding was extended, Lockhart said, “What we understand is it’s been a fairly vibrant response.” A request for comment from Ministry of Health Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn did not receive a response. Details of the project’s progress were pre- sented at a meeting on Wednesday that was attended by top members of the Ministry of Health, Lockhart said. He described the discussion at the meeting as “vibrant” but productive. “Everyone is still on board,” he said. “The money is still there in the budget, not just for the project, but for operations as well.” He said bids are expected to be awarded in the next two months, with groundbreaking in a matter of weeks after that. Construction is expected to take nine months. The $1 million project planned on 15 acres in East End, will have nine cottages, each of which can house six patients, and a central building for administration, dining and activi- ties. It will also feature an orchard and veg- etable garden. Lockhart said the facility is badly needed. The current eight beds at Cayman Islands Hospital dedicated to mental health patients are frequently at capacity and beyond. Those needing long-term care are often sent off is- land. In the last month, he said, he’s had to PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » CAMPAIGN GROUP CONCERNED OVER VERIFICATION PROCESS Elections Office is redoing the petition, Moxam claims JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Campaigners for a referendum on Cay- man’s planned cruise and cargo port project have highlighted concerns about the scope and extent of the verification process for their petition. The Elections Office has begun its efforts to confirm the authenticity of every signature on the document. The campaign group claims it has support from more than 5,289 people, representing 25% of the electorate – the threshold required to trigger a people-initiated-referendum under the Constitution. But they say the process now outlined by the Elections Office, which involves all those people filling out a new signed declaration calling for a referendum on the port, amounts to a re-run of the process they have just been through. It took almost 10 months for the group to collect the necessary signatures, which were handed over to the Elections Office last week. Wesley Howell, the supervisor of elections, has confirmed that his staff will seek to verify every single signature and will go door to door across Cayman to achieve this. The campaign group has written to Gov- ernor Martyn Roper to highlight concerns with this approach, which they describe as “onerous”. Johann Moxam, one of the campaign PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL®IONAL JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Walkers and runners who took part in the Wind of Hope 5K earlier this month have raised $4,000 for the Na- tional Council of Voluntary Organisa- tions’ children programmes. The NCVO is one of Cayman’s longest-standing charities and is dedi- cated to the care, education and well- being of children and families in need of support in the Cayman Islands. Miriam Foster, CEO of the NCVO, said the organisation appreciated the Wind of Hope contribution. “It costs $6 to feed a child with a meal each day … $4,000 will definitely go a long way.” Wind of Hope president Paul Wil- liams said this was the sixth time the annual walk/run had been held. A dif- ferent charity is chosen each year as the recipient of the funds raised. “I started the fundraising drive be- cause I care about the kids and our el- derly,” Williams said. “I always wanted to make an impact in the society … being a top runner in my division I can use my talent and caring to help others.” He said 200 people participated in the event, in which the walkers and run- ners followed a route from Smith Cove to the Avenue in South Sound on 9 June. TUESDAY, 18 JUNE 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(PG13) 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) GODZILLA: KING OF MONSTERS (PG13) 1:15 I 9:55 ALADDIN (PG) 12:55 I 3:55 | 7:10 3D I 10:05 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM (R) 4:25 | 10:15 SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (PG) 12:30 | 2:50 3D | 5:10 | 7:30 3D MEN IN BLACK (PG-13) INTERNATIONAL 1:00 VIP I 1:20 | 4:15 I 7:15 | 10:00 ROCKETMAN (R) 7:25 X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX (PG-13) 1:15 | 3:45 VIP | 4:20 | 7:00 | 9:45 VIP | 9:50 KIDS CLUB: HOWARD THE DUCK (PG) 7:00 Bermuda regulator fines Estera $500,000 MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Bermuda Mone- tary Authority has fined Es- tera Services in Bermuda US$500,000 for anti-money laundering failings. The trust business, which was spun-off from Appleby through a management buy- out in 2015, received the civil penalties for not complying with the Proceeds of Crime (Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing) Regulations 2008, and specif- ically deficiencies in its cus- tomer due diligence and en- hanced due diligence regime, internal controls, and risk assessment. The weaknesses were dis- covered during an on-site in- spection by the authority in late 2016. The Bermuda Monetary Authority said the deficien- cies “were historic and pre- dated the acquisition” and re- quired Estera to rectify the failings by 31 Dec. 2017. “The remediation was not, however, completed within that time frame,” the au- thority said. Estera received consid- erable media attention after the trust services firm’s pre- vious owner Appleby was the victim of a data breach in 2016, which led to the so- called ‘Paradise Papers’ cov- erage of offshore transac- tions a year later. Internal documents from the firm were first ob- tained by German news- paper Süddeutsche Zei- tung, which shared them with the US-based Interna- tional Consortium of Inves- tigative Journalists. The ICIJ then coordinated the Para- dise Papers project with 380 journalists from 96 media or- ganisations in 67 countries. Appleby said the confiden- tial information was stolen from the firm in a crim- inal cyberattack and sued the BBC and The Guardian newspaper in the UK for breach of confidence. Both media organisations defended their coverage, saying it was in the highest public interest and showed “how the powerful and ultra- wealthy secretly invest cash in offshore tax havens”. When the lawsuit was set- tled in May 2017, the par- ties issued a joint statement saying they had resolved their differences. The joint statement also noted that most documents belonged to the trust and fi- duciary arm of the group, which later became Es- tera, and were not legally privileged. “It is now clear that the vast majority of documents that were of interest in the Paradise Papers investigation related to the fiduciary busi- ness that is no longer owned by Appleby and so were not legally privileged docu- ments,” the statement said at the time. Bermuda’s Proceeds of Crime Regulations have been in effect since 2009. The reg- ulator said the case high- lighted the importance of li- censees having up-to-date anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing policies and procedures in place. These must be appro- priate, effective, and fully implemented in order to avoid the risk of financial products or legal structures being used as a vehicle for money laundering or ter- rorist financing. The case also showed the importance of licensees re- mediating the findings of the authority within reasonable time frames, the Bermuda Monetary Authority said. EX-FIRST LADY HEADS TO RUNOFF IN GUATEMALA PRESIDENTIAL RACE GUATEMALA CITY (AP) – A former first lady emerged Monday as the top vote- getter in the first round of Guatemala’s presidential election, but she will have to compete in an August runoff that will determine the next leader of this Cen- tral American nation where tens of thousands have fled poverty and gang violence this year to seek a new life in the United States. With votes tallied from 90% of polling centres, Sandra Torres had 24% of the vote from Sunday’s election, followed by four- time presidential candidate Alejandro Giammattei with 14%, who held the edge for the second-place finish and the other spot in the runoff. The results were in line with expectations. Both candidates made speeches early Monday out- lining their plans for the government. Torres promised to reac- tivate the economy, tackle the country’s security sit- uation, advocate for those at risk and run an efficient government. On the sensi- tive topic of corruption, she said she supported the rec- ommendation of the coun- try’s top prosecutor to replace the United Nations- backed anti-corruption mission with a prosecu- tor’s office that would focus on corruption cases and re- ceive support from interna- tional experts. Outgoing President Jimmy Morales, who was limited to a single four-year term, had said he would not renew the highly effective UN mis- sion’s mandate after it sought the lifting of his immunity of office so it could investigate allega- tions against him. Giammattei spoke of the same goals, but added that on immigration he plans to work closely with Mexico to raise living standards in communities near their shared border, which are the country’s poorest. Wind of Hope walk benefits NCVO Paul Williams, second from right, with commitee members Gregory Ellis, left, and Claudette Wright, presents $4,000 to CEO Miriam Foster to assist NCVO children programmes. - PHOTO: JEWEL LEVY Sandra Torres, presidential candidate of the National Unity of Hope party, UNE, arrives to Electoral Court centre in Guatemala City, Monday. – PHOTO: AP SUICIDE BEREAVEMENT GROUP TO MEET WEEKLY A free, weekly support group will offer an outlet to those who have lost a loved one to suicide. The Alex Panton Foun- dation is working with the Bethesda Counselling Centre to offer the service. The group will meet every Monday from 24 June to 29 July at 6:15-7:15pm at the Bethesda Counselling Centre at 86 Mary Street in George Town. Licensed mental health counsellor April Lewis will facilitate the bereavement group with the mission of providing private, confiden- tial support in a safe location. “I am delighted to be working with the [Alex Panton Foundation] to launch and fa- cilitate this support group. Suicide is such a sensitive subject and those who have tragically lost loved ones to suicide need all the support they can get to come to terms with their loss, and start the long road to healing.” said Lewis, who has 20 years of counselling experience. “As attendees will learn tools to help them through their journey, they will be surrounded by others who have experienced similar circumstances.” Foundation chair Jane Panton recalled the pain of losing her own son, for whom the organisation is named, to suicide in October 2010. She said the support group will enable participants to share and heal together. “I have experienced the deaths of loved ones and my parents through normal cir- cumstances but losing my beloved son to suicide was like a wrecking ball that just kept swinging at me over and over again,” she said. “I was very fortunate to have most wonderful friends and family supporting me through this but I always felt like I was becoming too heavy for them and did not want to lean on them too much. I think through this support group, we can share our experiences without feeling like we are being bur- densome to our supporter/ listening ear.” Panton said she hopes to attend the first group meeting on 24 June to share her own story. The Alex Panton Foundation offers a range of mental health services. To learn more about its programmes, visit www.alexpantonfoundation.ky. To request more information about the bereavement group, email info@alexpantonfoundation.ky.3 LOCAL NEWS The National Trust has announced the finalists for the fourth bi-annual Governor’s Conservation Awards. The 14 individuals and organisations were chosen from 30 applicants. The winners will be announced at an event at Government House on Thursday. The awards feature a number of dif- ferent categories. The Conservationist of the Year is given to individuals who have imple- mented or significantly contributed to a conservation project aimed at pro- tecting biodiversity, wildlife, endan- gered species or places of environ- mental significance. Finalists this year are science teacher Bill LaMonte, turtle preservationist Dwayne Frederick, reef recovery activist and journalist Joseph Avary and the Cruise Port Referendum Cayman group. The Corporate Conservation Award recognises organisations that have made major strides to reduce their environ- mental impact and carbon footprint. This year’s finalists are Caribbean Util- ities Company, Health City Cayman Is- lands and Hurley’s Marketplace. Finalists for the Tourism Industry Conservation Award are the Jean-Michel Cousteau Ambassadors of the Environ- ment Programme and the Cayman Turtle Centre. The award is for organisations or individuals who offer environmentally- friendly visitor services and easy access to outdoor nature activities. The Heritage Preservation Award is given to organisations or individuals who demonstrate a commitment to the preservation of built, written or cultural elements of Cayman’s history. Histo- rian and curator Ann Stafford, folk artist Gordon Solomon, architect and preserva- tionist John Doak and the Bodden Town Heritage Committee are the finalists in this category. Finally, the Lois Blumenthal Youth Conservation Award recognises a young person between the ages of 15 and 25 years old for his or her conserva- tion work with native species. In this case, the single finalist is the organisa- tion Protect our Future Cayman, an en- vironmental advocacy group led by four Cayman International School students – Richard Weber, Olivia Zimmer, Jack Pao- lini and Mikayla Corin. The group began as a photo campaign with powerful mes- sages which appealed to the local com- munity to protect environmentally sen- sitive land and native species that were most important. Since then, the group has organised a school ‘walk out’ to send a message to the Cayman Islands gov- ernment – and the world at large – that their young voices matter. The awards recognise people and businesses within the local community that have demonstrated an active role in the fields of historic preservation and environmental conservation across all three Cayman Islands within the last 10 years. They are backed by Governor Martyn Roper in partnership, this year, with Greenlight Re. The submissions were assessed by a panel of key people in the tourism, con- servation, environmental and heritage industries. CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 18 JUNE 2019 Green award finalists named Members of the Cruise Port Referendum Cayman group, who recently presented a petition on the port to the elections committee, are among the nominees for the Governor’s Conservation Awards. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Rotaract Blue installs new board Rotaract Blue installed its new board of directors and officers over the weekend. At its 13th annual instal- lation ceremony on Saturday, at the Harbour Grille restau- rant in Grand Harbour, the community service club for 18-30 year olds, which is sponsored by Rotary Central Cayman Islands, installed its newest president – Dona- Lee Darlington. Also installed during the ocean-themed evening were: Immediate Past President Rene Dixon, Vice President Alanna Warwick-Smith, Sec- retary Abbi-Gayle Phuran, Community Service Director Ally McRae, Club Service Di- rector Takiyah Smith, Pro- fessional Development Di- rector Rochelle Palmer and Public Relations Chair Jes- sica Moore. Incoming Treas- urer Brandon McLean and International Service Di- rector Nicolas Wright were unable to attend. Darlington told the at- tendees, “I am excited to see what the future has in store for Rotaract Blue. I trust it will be a great year continuing to Serve beyond Stigmas, the Rotaract District 7020 theme for 2018/19, while we prepare to make an Impact through Unity, the District 7020 theme for the 2019/2020.” The outgoing president, Rene Dixon, highlighted the extensive achievements of the “small but mighty” club during the 2018/2019 year. This included donating a vo- cational grant, in the name of the late rotarian and edu- cator Fred Speirs, of $2,000 to the University College of the Cayman Islands, continuing the Fred Speirs 5K Walk/Run, and hosting the 11th Annual Open Arms Gala which raised $10,000 for special needs or- ganisations in Cayman. This year, Rotaract Blue will also continue to strengthen its Open Arms Pro- gramme, encouraging inclu- sivity in the Cayman Islands and its efforts to support HIV/ AIDS prevention and aware- ness in the Cayman Islands. Rotaract Blue meets bi-weekly at Royal Palms Beach Club in the PRIMA restaurant space at 6pm, with regular meetings resuming on 3 July. For more information, email rotaractblue@gmail.com. Members of Rotaract Blue and supporters gather to celebrate the club’s 13th annual installation of directors. Trial date set for pensions and wages case SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The proprietor of Cayman Cabana pleaded not guilty in court Monday to seven counts of failing to make contributions to a pension plan and 11 counts of failure to pay minimum wage. Luigi Moxam also pleaded not guilty to failing to provide a gra- tuities statement and pro- viding false information on a trade and business licence. The matters are currently set for trial on 16 Oct., and for a case management hearing on 18 July. Magistrate Valdis Foldats said that Moxam does not have to be pre- sent for the case manage- ment hearing, and he noted that the provisional trial date coincides with Na- tional Boss Day. “That’s actually fitting for these types of offences,” said Magistrate Foldats. Moxam pleaded guilty to failing to pay arrears contributions within the time given by the superin- tendent and to one count of failing to make contribu- tions to a pension plan. There was some dis- cussion between the mag- istrate and Crown counsel over whether Moxam or Cayman Cabana should be the defendant listed in the case. That will be resolved at a later date. Moxam also had a separate charge alleging four counts of illegal em- ployment and another of making a false statement, but defence counsel John Furniss said he has paid a fee of $5,000 in that case. “That usually ends the matter,” said Magis- trate Foldats. The defence is still trying to arrange doc- umentation and pay- ment on some of the mat- ters, and there is a chance the cases will still be re- solved without the need for a trial. “It’s going to be a lot of paper if it goes to trial,” said Furniss.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” “The quality of the Government’s financial reporting has improved significantly over recent years … Over the same period, particularly the most recent two years, there has been a marked increase in the number of entities preparing and tabling annual reports rather than only financial statements; thereby meeting a key requirement of the Public Management and Finance Law and enhancing the level of financial accountability to key stakeholders.” – Office of the Auditor General report Kudos to the government entities that earned high marks for financial reporting in a recent audit. As the Compass reported last week, the auditor general has given ‘unqualified opinions’ to 35 of 44 public sector entities after reviewing their financial statements for the 2016-2017 budget period. It was the latest development in a positive trend which has seen ever more government entities reaching this important bar. It has been just over a decade since then-auditor general Dan Duguay warned that reporting stand- ards were so poor that, in his opinion, the Legislative Assembly had ‘lost effective control of the public purse’. “I find the current situation deplorable,” he wrote in a report back then. It has been a long road, but slowly, surely, a sense of order is being restored. It is well worth the effort. Officials must keep pushing for even greater thoroughness and transparency. Without accurate, reliable financial statements, lawmakers cannot make informed decisions about resource allocation; the public is left in the dark. As Auditor General Sue Winspear noted, there is more work to do. Two of the four entities that failed to secure an ‘unqualified audit’ did not reveal the details of termina- tion benefits paid to key management personnel. That practice must halt immediately. When public officials are being paid from the public purse, the public has a right to know what is being paid. The report also recommends that entities produce and table annual reports to give context and meaning to the financial documents, and offers several recom- mendations to improve governance, increase transpar- ency, manage expenses and protect against fraud. In our view, implementing these recommendations would bring the Cayman Islands to the ‘next level’ of respon- sible governance, joining other highly functioning democracies that prioritise transparency, fairness and efficiency in government affairs. We are particularly struck by the recommendation that government boards be active, meet regularly and be comprised of knowledgeable, impartial and politically neutral members able to provide strategic guidance and provide accountability to government works. They, too, must keep accurate records of their discussions, decisions and correspondence, and conduct their work, whenever possible, in the clear light of day. Financial audits: from ‘deplorable’ to ‘pleasing’ TUESDAY, 18 JUNE 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Berlin’s property-owning classes are under attack CHRIS BRYANT The high cost of urban housing is one of the most divisive issues of our times. Rising prices have created entrenched cadres of haves and have nots, but because property owners tend to be in the majority, renters are often the ones left shortchanged. That is emphatically not the case in Berlin, where owner-occupiers make up just 15% of the market. Once a famously cheap place to live, Berlin rents have dou- bled over the past decade and house prices have gone through the roof. Berlin’s ‘cool’ reputation, burgeoning start-up scene, and rock- bottom interest rates have all contributed to the boom. Because rent increases have outstripped pay raises, resi- dents feel worse off. Now the city’s leftist co- alition government has pro- posed a restriction of private property rights that would be unthinkable in most places: For the next five years, it wants to bar landlords from increasing rents at all. Such heavy-handed inter- vention will alarm foreign investors, for whom Berlin’s real estate sector has be- come a favourite place to de- ploy capital. It’s also a wake- up call for landlords in other countries, where falling home ownership rates have but- tressed support for greater intervention in the housing market. In London, Jeremy Corbyn’s left-wing Labour Party will be looking on with interest. It’s not clear whether Ber- lin’s proposal is even legal but property investors clearly expect some kind of reck- oning. Shares in the listed German real estate firm Deutsche Wohnen SE have tumbled 17% since the first details of the new measure were unveiled last week, erasing about 2.5 billion euros (US$2.8 billion) of its market value. The company owns more than 115,000 res- idential units in the city, or 70% of its portfolio. (Investors who bought the stock in 2008 are still doing OK, though. It’s up about 1,300% since then). Berlin’s rents and prop- erty prices are actually pretty reasonable by inter- national standards, and by comparison to local incomes. Still, there’s no question the housing market has become dysfunctional. The local population has jumped by about 300,000 since 2011 and new construc- tion has failed to keep up. Building firms are working flat out, but permitting is no- toriously slow. Some land- owners hold back develop- ment plots in the hope that prices will continue rising, while obstructive local resi- dents have blocked new de- velopments. At the same time, older tenants in large apart- ments with cheap long-term leases cannot move some- where smaller because of the higher rents, so young fam- ilies struggle to find any- where suitable. Capping rents – or seizing buildings from big owners, as has also been mooted – will not do anything to ease the shortage. While the new law won’t apply to new prop- erties, it will deter much- needed investment nonethe- less. Berlin might as well pin a sign on top of its famous TV tower saying owners are not welcome. The German real estate market is already heavily reg- ulated when compared with most places. Tenants have ex- tensive rights (a good thing in my book) and in 2015 the federal government legislated to prevent rents rising more than 10% annually above the local average. That law has been widely ignored, though, if online property listings are a good guide. To pre- vent this happening again, Berlin is threatening 500,000 euro (US$566,000) fines for noncompliance with its new rent cap. Landlords complain of “class warfare” and are threatening to hike rents ahead of the proposal coming into force in 2020, which doesn’t seem a good way to win friends. The policy will probably stop them spending on property upkeep, yet I wonder whether most Ber- liners will care. Gentrification has long been a dirty word here – di- lapidated buildings were part of the city’s ‘poor but sexy’ charm. And one mustn’t forget that 30 years ago half the city still lived under com- munist rule. Buying a home in Germany is prohibitively expensive: Taxes and estate agency fees can amount to 15% of the purchase price. Unlike in the UK or the US, the federal government does little to incentivise investing in the stock market, which might help the public build up more wealth for a deposit. For these reasons, Berlin might be considered an out- lier, but perhaps it’s simply ahead of the curve. Home ownership is well below his- toric highs in the UK and US and socialism is suddenly en vogue. Berlin’s assault on pri- vate property rights shows what happens when you let the capitalist pendulum swing too far in one direction. Chris Bryant is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies. © 2019, Bloomberg . Cars pass a speed limit traffic sign at Leipziger Strasse in Berlin, Germany. Rents in the city have doubled over the past decade and house prices have gone through the roof. - PHOTO: AP5 LOCAL NEWS Swimmer’s miraculous journey from Siberian orphanage to the world stage JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Of the 900-plus swim- mers that competed in the Flowers Sea Swim on Sat- urday, few can claim to have come as far or surmounted as many challenges as Jessica Long. Born in Siberia with a rare birth defect that cost her the use of her legs, Long was adopted from a Rus- sian orphanage as a baby. She has gone on to repre- sent the US and become one of the most decorated Para- lympic athletes in the coun- try’s history. Long swam the mile in just over 21 minutes on Sat- urday to add an impres- sive 17th place finish in the Cayman event to her long list of accomplishments. “I think that’s pretty cool,” she told the Cayman Com- pass as she caught her breath at the finish line. “I am especially proud to be doing it as a bilateral am- putee,” she said. “Finishing 17th is super exciting for me, but more important is to see all different people race. I think if I can do it without legs, anyone can do it.” Long was born with fib- ular hemimelia, a birth de- fect affecting one in 40,000 babies, in which all or part of the fibular bone is missing. Both her legs were ampu- tated below the knee at 18 months old. She harnesses surprising upper body strength com- bined with perfect technique to perform exploits in the pool and in the ocean that many able-bodied athletes simply cannot match. “I look around and eve- ryone’s kicking. I’m not kicking – it is all on my arms. It is definitely harder, so I am really proud to finish 17th,” she said. Long, who has won 13 gold, six silver, and four bronze medals for the US at Paralympic Games, was com- peting in the Flowers swim for the third time. This was her best performance. She said, “What I love about this event, and Mr. Flowers is one of the first to do this, is you are combining Paralympic athletes and Olympic athletes in one race. I love it because it is very in- clusive and I think that is where we need to be in to- day’s world.” She said it was especially pleasing that the sponsored charity for this year’s event was the Special Olympics. The next major target for Long is the Paralympics in Tokyo next year. In her biography ‘Un- sinkable’, the 27-year-old talks about how she turned the loss of her legs into a positive. “I used to say that swim- ming was my escape, but that’s not accurate. Swim- ming forced me to deal with the things I wanted to escape. It helped me work through a lot of feelings and frustra- tions, because I had hours under water just to swim laps and think,” she wrote. “I had the freedom to be alone with myself, completely unlimited by my circum- stances or my body, while doing what I loved. I think that’s why I took to swim- ming with such ease. All my life I have had to fight to catch up with people. But not in the water. That’s the one place where everyone else is trying to keep up with me.” She also discusses how the Paralympics gave her new confidence and helped her wear her prosthetic legs with pride. She wrote, “I want to show everyone that our differences are what makes us beautiful and unique.” CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 18 JUNE 2019 CAYMAN ISLANDS DIGITAL ECONOMY CONFERENCE 2019 Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa June 20 th , 2019 | CI $350 FinTech, RegTech, cyber security, data protection and more... REGISTER NOW WWW.CYDEC.KY PANEL ANNOUNCEMENT Regulation: How should regulators manage the risks associated with FinTech? Ravi Bahadursingh, Barrister at Chancery Lane Chambers Rayford Britton, Deputy Head of Policy and Development at CIMA Justin Fisher, Co-Founder and CEO of VeriBlock Alexandra Simonova, Risk Advisory and Consulting at Deloitte Moderator: Paul Byles, Director of FTS MINISTRY OF FINANCIAL SERVICES & HOME AFFAIRS MINISTRY OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, TOURISM & TRANSPORT MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, PLANNING & INFRASTRUCTURE CIMA CANCELS BROKER’S DIRECTOR LICENCE FOLLOWING FRAUD CHARGES MICHAEL KLEIN mklein@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Cayman Islands Mon- etary Authority has sus- pended the director registra- tion of Oliver-Barret Lindsay, the owner of CMGT Capital Management and Lindsay Capital Corp. SEZC. Lindsay, a Canadian cit- izen, was charged in July 2018 by the Securities and Exchange Commission and in a separate criminal case in the Southern District of Cali- fornia for his alleged involve- ment in a series of penny stock fraud schemes. The Cayman Islands- based broker, together with California-based stock pro- moter Gannon Giguiere and three others, is ac- cused of having participated in penny stock pump-and- dump schemes that purport- edly netted the defendants $1.57 million in proceeds. In a letter sent on 14 June, CIMA suspended Lindsay’s director registration stating that in its opinion Lindsay was carrying on business in a manner detrimental to the public interest and in contra- vention of the Director Reg- istration and Licensing Law. In addition, Lindsay was not “a fit and proper person to hold a position as a regis- tered director”. In one of the schemes, Kelvin Medical Inc, a pur- ported medical device com- pany, controlled by Giguiere, allegedly issued 1.5 million shares each to two nominee entities controlled respectively by Giguiere and Lindsay. The SEC and the criminal complaint allege that the two then coordinated matched trades to create the false ap- pearance of active trading in the stock and cause the com- pany’s share price to rise from zero to $1.20 per share. At the same time, the SEC said Kelvin Medical stock was promoted on TheMoney- Street, a website controlled by Giguiere, without dis- closing his ownership of the shares. According to the indict- ment, Giguiere and Lindsay coordinated their matched trades through an associate, who unbeknownst to them, was a cooperating witness with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which in an undercover operation re- corded encrypted messages and telephone conversations between the defendants. In April, both defendants pleaded not guilty to a super- seding indictment. The court is currently dealing with pre- trial motions in the case. A substantive motion hearing is set for 5 Aug. Double amputee among fastest finishers in sea swim Long swam the mile in just over 21 minutes on Saturday to add an impressive 17th place finish in the Cayman event to her long list of accomplishments. Jessica Long has not let her disability stop her from becoming a champion. The Paralympian was the seventh fastest female finisher at the Flowers swim on Saturday. - PHOTO: JAMES WHITTAKER Man gets community service, probation over bar fight Magistrate records no conviction SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com No conviction was re- corded Monday in the case of a 36-year-old man who punched another man and broke his nose at a George Town bar last year. The court heard Monday that the man had gotten into a fight at Bananas last Oc- tober and exchanged punches with the complainant. The defence counsel admitted that the man had a bottle in his hand at the time of the altercation but said that he did not attempt to strike the complainant with it. Defence counsel Prathna Bodden said that the de- fendant received a “glowing report” from probation of- ficers and that he’s a well-ed- ucated father of three sons with excellent references. “He is truly and genuinely remorseful,” said Bodden. Magistrate Foldats said that if a bottle had been used as an offen- sive weapon, the defendant would be looking at years in jail. But since it had not, he accepted the event might be an aberration. Magistrate Foldats sen- tenced the man to one year of probation and 80 hours of community service. The defendant was also ordered to pay $3,000 in compensa- tion for medical bills over the next year, and he’s pro- hibited from entering prem- ises with liquor licences for the next year.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, 18 JUNE SEAFARERS SOCIAL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association will hold its June Social at 7pm tonight in the Seafarers Hall, 11 Victory Avenue, Prospect. Three buses will make pick-ups from West Bay Town Hall at 6pm. The Barnes bus route in George Town will leave the Public Library parking area at 6:30pm, stopping at the Cayman Compass building and the Airport Foster’s. The blue bus marked Bobo $1 public transport will pick up from British Caymanian, Uncle Bill’s, Walkers Road, Shedden Road and Crewe Road. The bus from East End will make pick-ups at the school parking area, gas station and Wreck of the Ten Sail, from 5:45pm. North Side pickups at Chisholm’s Store and soccer field starting at 6:15pm. Bodden Town pickups at Lorna’s gas station at 6:45pm. Savannah pickups at gas station at 7pm. SENIOR MONTH ACTIVITIES: Talk on ‘Preventing Elder Abuse’ presented by the Department of Children and Family Services Elderly Unit. North Side United Church Hall, 10am to 1pm. Contact Flavia Gardner on 926-0490 for more details. WEDNESDAY, 19 JUNE CONSERVATION MEETING: The National Conservation Council will hold a general meeting at 2pm at the Government Administration Building in Room 2024 (2nd floor conference room). The agenda for the meeting can be found on the Department of Environment website. The meeting is open to observers from the public and press. To submit comments or questions to the council in advance of the meeting, email conservationcouncil@gov.ky. THURSDAY, 20 JUNE HUMANE SOCIETY QUIZ: Monthly trivia night to raise funds for the Cayman Islands Humane Society. 7pm at Fidel Murphy’s on West Bay Road. Questions by Anna Haydon. $10 per person. Six people per team. Call Fidel’s on 949-5189 to book a table. LITTLE CAYMAN VEHICLE LICENSING: The DVDL will visit Little Cayman today from 9am to 2:30pm, at Little Cayman District Office. SATURDAY, 22 JUNE OLYMPIC DAY: Celebrate Olympic Day by joining a 5K run/walk at 7am this morning at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Represent your country by wearing costume and national colours or symbols. Family-oriented 5K that is open to people of all ages and abilities. Free of charge, but participants do need to register at www.caymanactive.com/ registrations. Registration on the day is also possible from 6:15-6:45am, but participants are urged to register online. The event will be timed. MURDER MYSTERY: One Dog At a Time hosts a 1920s-themed murder mystery fundraiser, set in a speakeasy after Prohibition, 6:30-10pm at Cayman Spirits Company. Characters will be issued in advance so participants can plan their outfits. $40 fee includes buffet food and one drink. There will be prizes for best dressed participant and most convincing actor/actress. All funds raised support the dog rescue work of this charity. To book tickets and for more information, email info@odaat.ky or visit the Facebook page onedogatatime13. FRIDAY, 28 JUNE STUDENT REGISTRATION CLOSES: The registration for students enrolling in, or transferring to, government schools for the 2019/2020 school year will close today. SATURDAY, 29 JUNE KIDFEST: Family fun day at Pedro St. James in memory of baby Nolan Evans. 2-6pm. Children 13 and under, free; ages 14 and over, $25. Raffle prizes, face painting, complementary sno-cones and pizza slices, bouncy castle, lawn games, live entertainment, food and drink sales, Kids Zumba. First 50 kids through the gate on the day get a free gift bag. Proceeds go towards helping children with congenital heart defects. SUNDAY, 30 JUNE ENVIROWALK: A 5K walk/ run will be held this morning at SafeHaven to bring awareness to the environment and to raise funds for the 2019 Miss World Cayman pageant in September. Bring a water bottle, hats, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes. $25 for adults and $12 for 12 and under. SATURDAY, 6 JULY BEACH CLEAN-UP: Plastic Free Cayman holds its monthly community clean-up at Sand Hole Beach, Sand Hole Road in West Bay, at 8am. All welcome. Bring a reusable water bottle, hat and gloves if you have them. Chance to win a trip for two with Red Sail Sports. GENERAL INTEREST YMCA SUMMER CAMPS: Registration for YMCA Summer Camps is now open. Camps will take place from 2 July to 23 Aug. across three locations – Field of Dreams, Camana Bay Sports Complex and the Youth Centre at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church in Savannah. Families can also register for Y Fun Days, which are offered Wednesday– Friday, 26-28 June, at Field of Dreams. For more information, visit www.ymcacayman.ky. On-site registration is open weekdays from 9am to 5pm at the Field of Dreams. The Day Camp team can also be reached at ysummercamp@ ymcacayman.ky. To find out about financial assistance, which is available for families in need, email info@ymcacayman.ky. CELEBRATE CAYMAN: Celebrate Cayman Coat of Arms memorabilia will be on sale in the lobby of the Cayman Islands Government Administration Building 11am to 2pm every Tuesday and Thursday through the month of June. Items on sale are Celebrate Cayman umbrellas $25, neckties $25, bandanas/scarfs $15, puzzles 35pcs/200pcs $10, plates $35, bistro mugs $10, car flags $10. ‘I CAN QUIT’ SMOKING CESSATION CLASSES: The Public Health Department reminds smokers who wish to quit the habit that there are still some spaces left for upcoming smoking cessation classes. Classes start on 5 June, from 5:15-6:45pm every Wednesday for seven weeks in the Public Health Department. Location will be Smith Road Centre, second floor. For more information or to sign up, contact the Public Health Department on 244-2889/244-2621, or email sarah.hetley@hsa.ky or nola.sanderson@hsa.ky. 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. SQUASH CLUB: The Cayman Islands Squash Club hosts a social evening for women on the last Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm, and holds squash beginner lessons for adults every Monday at 7pm. For more information, email info@squash.ky. 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; Tues-Fri 9:30am to 4pm; Sat 9:30am to 4:30pm. Volunteers are 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, 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. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. TUESDAY, 18 JUNE 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS One Dog At a Time will host a 1920s-themed murder mystery fundraiser on Saturday, 22 June, at the Cayman Spirits Company.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 18 JUNE 2019 Police requested that the name of the dead man not be published until his family in Jamaica are informed. The detached home and gardens in a quiet side street off Boatswain Bay Road where the inci- dent took place were cor- doned off with police tape Monday. Neighbours described how they had come to the aid of the victims as they ran from the home. Watler said, “We was inside the house and we heard knocking on the door and the girl was calling ‘please, please help us, a man stab us and we bleeding’. “I opened the doors and they were all bleeding – a woman and her two children.” She said the girl, aged around 13 or 14, was cov- ered in blood. The boy, who was around 9, was holding his side where he had been stabbed. The mother appeared to have a neck wound. She collapsed to the ground in front of the house, Watler said. “The little girl took the phone out of my hand to talk to the police,” Watler said. “She said she feel faint and then she drop the phone on the ground.” Watler said her family and another neighbour had helped clean up the woman and her children and look after them until the ambu- lance arrived. “I was so frightened, “she said. “I was scared, we were all very scared. My little granddaughter and her little boy were crying because they see them bleeding”. She said she was relieved to hear that the woman and her children had survived. Police said in a state- ment that officers and emergency medical ser- vices had been sent to the scene at 10:30pm fol- lowing a 9-1-1 call and as- sisted a woman and two minors who had serious stab wounds. “A search was conducted and the fourth person, a man, was found unrespon- sive nearby with a stab wound to his chest. The man, a 42 year old from Jamaica residing in West Bay, was later pronounced dead. The woman and two children were taken to hos- pital. They are currently in serious condition, with non-life threatening inju- ries,” it said. The incident is under police investigation by George Town CID, and an- yone with information is encouraged to contact de- tectives at 949-4222. Anonymous tips can be provided directly to the RCIPS through the Confidential Tip Line at 949‑7777, or the website, www.rcips.ky. Tips can also be submitted anonymously via the Miami‑based call centre of Crime Stoppers at 800‑8477(TIPS). organisers, said the Elections Office already has the elec- tronic signature of the ma- jority of voters on record. “I’m not sure why they can’t just check the signa- tures against the ones that they have on file,” he said. He also questioned why those who signed the petition were now being asked to sign another lengthy declaration asking for a referendum. “Why is the Elections Of- fice taking the extraordi- nary step of redoing the peti- tion?” he asked. “They already have the signatures bound and presented. Verification should be a simple yes or no question – did you sign the petition?” Howell has previously stated that in the absence of any clear guidelines, other than the brief wording in the Constitution, it is neces- sary to independently verify every signature. He has indicated he be- lieves this can be done quickly and efficiently and that his staff will be able to reach everyone on the list. Some of those who signed the petition have already come into the Elections Office to confirm their support for a referendum. The office plans to recruit 100 additional staff for the full verification process and will go house to house and host events in the community to allow people to verify their signatures. send two patients to Ja- maica in order to re- ceive inpatient care and is working on arrangements to send another. The need for that kind of service on Cayman is a frequent topic of conversa- tion with patients and their families, he said. “This comes up every day, and I’m not exag- gerating that,” Lockhart said. “There’s not a day where someone or some family member [doesn’t ask], ‘Where are we on that project?’” Even when it is opened, Lockhart said he expects the new facility to quickly be at full capacity. “We were going to keep one of the cottages pos- sibly for medical tourism,” he said. “We’re now re- alising we’re going to be using all of those beds. This is not the end all on solving mental health problems in the Cayman Islands.” He foresees a need for at least two group homes that would serve as step-down care for mental health pa- tients, helping to provide the support needed for re- entering society. He expects those homes will be funded through private initia- tives and non-government organisations. Although frustrated by the delays, Lockhart said he also does not want to rush the process. “We want to make sure we do things right,” he said. One dead, three injured in Father’s Day violence CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Delayed mental health facility moving forward Mental Health Commission Chairman Dr. Marc Lockhart CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Campaign group concerned over verification process Campaigners say the verification process, which requires people to fill in this form, amounts to a re‑run of the petition. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Wesley Howell, the supervisor of elections, has confirmed that his staff will seek to verify every single signature and will go door to door across Cayman to achieve this. UN: World population expected to rise to 9.7 billion in 2050 UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The world’s population is get- ting older and growing at a slower pace but is still ex- pected to increase from 7.7 billion currently to 9.7 billion in 2050, the United Nations said Monday. The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ Population Division said in a new report that world popu- lation could reach its peak of nearly 11 billion around the end of the century. But Population Division Director John Wilmoth cau- tioned that because 2100 is many decades away this outcome “is not certain, and in the end the peak could come earlier or later, at a lower or higher level of total population”. The new population pro- jections indicate that nine countries will be respon- sible for more than half the projected population growth between now and 2050. In descending order of the ex- pected increase, they are: India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Egypt and the United States. In sub-Saharan Africa, population is projected to nearly double by 2050, the report said. Undersecretary-General for Economic and Social Af- fairs Lu Zhenmin said in a statement: “Many of the fastest growing populations are in the poorest countries, where population growth brings additional chal- lenges in the effort to eradi- cate poverty,” promote gender equality and improve health- care and education.” The report confirmed that the world’s population is growing older due to in- creasing life expectancy and falling fertility levels. The global fertility rate fell from 3.2 births per woman in 1990 to 2.5 births in 2019 and is projected to decline further to 2.2 births by 2050. A fertility rate of 2.1 births per woman is need to ensure population replacement and avoid declines, according to the report. In 2019, the fertility rate in sub-Saharan Africa was the highest at 4.6 births per woman, with Pacific islands, northern Africa, and western, central and southern Asia above the replacement level, said the report. But since 2010, it said 27 countries or areas have lost 1% or more of their population. “Between 2019 and 2050 populations are projected to decrease by one percent or more in 55 countries or areas, of which 26 may see a reduc- tion of at least 10 percent,” the UN said. “In China, for example, the population is projected to decrease by 31.4 million, or around 2.2%, be- tween 2019 and 2050.” Wilmoth, the head of the Population Division, told a news conference launching the report that the popula- tion growth rate is slowing down as the fertility level gradually decreases. That de- crease usually follows a re- duction in the mortality level that initially instigated growth, he said. Wilmoth stressed that multiple factors lead to lower fertility including increasing education and employment, especially for women, and more jobs in urban than rural areas, which motivate people away from costly large fami- lies to smaller families. But to achieve this, he said, people also need ac- cess to modern methods of contraception. According to the ‘World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights’ report, migration is also a major component of population growth or loss in some countries. People visit a market in Old Delhi in India. The country is one of nine that will be responsible for more than half the projected global population growth between now and 2050, according to a new United Nations report. - PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCKThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY, 18 JUNE 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Japan protests Chinese maritime activity Japan protested Monday what is says was an unauthorised Chinese maritime survey within its economic waters near disputed East China Sea islands, after a Chinese ship was seen dropping an object into the water off the coast of the Japan-controlled Senkaku islands on Sunday. Hunt begins for cause of huge South American blackout BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – The lights were back on Monday across Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay after a huge blackout that af- fected tens of millions people, but authorities remained in the dark about the cause of the grid collapse and con- tinued to calculate the eco- nomic damage. Argentine President Mau- ricio Macri promised a thor- ough investigation into what he called an “unprecedented” outage, one that raised ques- tions about flaws in South America’s power grid, which connects many of the region’s largest countries. Energy officials said the results of the investigation would be available in 10 to 15 days, and they could not immediately provide details on the economic impact of the outage, which happened on a Sunday, a day before a national holiday in Argentina. “From zero to 10, there is zero chance that this will re- peat itself. It can’t repeat it- self,” Argentine Energy Sec- retary Gustavo Lopetegui said Monday. The blackout originated at an electricity transmission point between the power sta- tions at Argentina’s Yacyretá dam and Salto Grande in the country’s northeast “when the system was getting too much power” Lopetegui said. Al- though these types of failures have happened in other coun- tries as well, he said a chain of events took place that caused a total disruption. “This is an extraordi- nary event that should have never happened,” he said. “It’s very serious. We can’t leave the whole country all of a sudden without electricity.” He did not discount the pos- sibility of a cyberattack but said it was unlikely. The collapse began at about 7am Sunday, with Ar- gentina’s population of 44 mil- lion and residents of neigh- bouring Uruguay and some parts of Paraguay waking up to Father’s Day in the dark. Public transportation halted in Buenos Aires, while phone and internet commu- nications were disrupted, water supplies were cut off and shops were forced to close. Patients dependent on home medical equipment were urged to go to hospitals with generators. Power was restored by Sunday night. But the outage ignited questions about the vulnerability of Argentina’s power system at a time when the country is going through a deep economic crisis with soaring inflation, a tum- bling of the currency and a spike in utility bills fuelled by Macri’s decision to cut subsidies as part of his aus- terity measures. The conservative leader has seen his popularity rat- ings plunge during the crisis. Argentines have demon- strated against the rise in utility bills, and the blackout could trigger more such pro- tests against Macri’s govern- ment just as he seeks re-elec- tion in October. “The country is already in a weird moment and then you wake up and can’t see any- thing,” said Julieta Dodda, 27, a saleswoman at a clothing store in downtown Buenos Aires. “Many people were going to meet for lunch to celebrate the day. I saw many online who joked: ‘Happy Fa- ther’s Day from Edesur and Edenor, which are our elec- tricity companies.’” Energy officials defended the Argentine power system as “robust”. But the grid had been known for being in a state of disrepair, with sub- stations and cables that were insufficiently upgraded as power rates remained largely frozen for years. Outages were once more common, especially during Argentina warm summer months, but had been reduced after Macri came to power in 2015 promising to reinvest in the grid and end what he called the failed energy policy of his predecessors. After Sunday’s embar- rassing outage, his rivals jumped at the chance to crit- icise the conservative leader. “Millions of people who have had to pay astronomical rates for electricity to ben- efit those in power are still waiting for the energy to re- turn to their homes,” Alberto Fernandez, a centre-left presi- dential candidate who is seen as Macri’s top rival, said on Twitter. “Just days ago, they were boasting about ‘exporting energy.’” He added a recent tweet from Macri in which the president said: “From darkness to exporting energy.” An Argentine independent energy expert said that sys- temic operational and design errors played a role in the grid’s collapse. “A localised failure like the one that occurred should be isolated by the same system,” said Raúl Bertero, president of the Centre for the Study of Energy Regulatory Activity in Argentina. “The problem is known, and technology and studies [exist] to avoid it.” Although Brazil was spared this time, a similar outage in the region’s largest country left more than 60 million in the dark in 2009, just as authorities scram- bled to boost confidence in its infrastructure before soc- cer’s 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Three months ago, crisis- torn Venezuela suffered its worst power outage, with the lack of electricity endan- gering hospital patients. Argentina has had a his- tory of blackouts, but none like Sunday’s failure. Only the southern archipelago of Tierra del Fuego was unaf- fected because it is not con- nected to the main grid. Uruguay’s energy com- pany UTE said all of Uruguay lost power for hours, and it blamed a “flaw in the Argen- tine network”. Technicians stand in the rain as they work to fix a generator during a blackout in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sunday. – PHOTO: AP UK Conservative hopefuls fight for No 2 spot against Johnson LONDON (AP) – Contenders for leadership in Britain’s Conservative Party jostled for attention Monday as the race narrowed into a contest to seize the mantle of challenger to frontrunner Boris Johnson. With Johnson solidly ahead after winning 114 of the 313 votes in first-round voting among party law- makers, challengers sought to position themselves as the best alternative to the former foreign secretary. The goal is to win the cov- eted second slot on the postal ballot being sent to Conserv- ative Party members nation- wide – a vote that will decide the next leader and the next prime minister. “This is a two-horse race and we know one of the horses: Boris,” said Interna- tional Development Secretary Rory Stewart at a campaign event for political journalists. “There is literally only one question you have to answer – who is likely to beat Boris?” The contest will choose a replacement for Prime Minister Theresa May, who stepped down as party leader earlier this month after failing to secure Parliament’s approval for her European Union divorce deal. The House of Commons’ 313 Conservative Party law- makers will winnow the field of contenders in a series of leadership votes this week, with the final two names put to a postal vote of about 160,000 Conservative mem- bers nationwide. The winner is set to be announced in July. A leading figure in the 2016 campaign to leave the European Union, Johnson wants Britain to withdraw from the EU on 31 Oct., with or without a withdrawal agreement that some econo- mists warn is needed to pre- vent chaos. He also threat- ened to withhold a 39 billion pound (US$50 billion) di- vorce payment if the EU digs in its heels. Unlike his more polished challengers, Johnson’s appeal comes in part from his rum- pled suits, unruly hair and colourful – if sometimes of- fensive – turns of phrase. He has called Papua New Guin- eans cannibals and once compared Muslim women who wear face-covering veils to the sturdy red “letter boxes” on Britain’s streets. Those statements also have led some to question whether he could be trusted in high office. Hoping to avoid a campaign derailing gaffe, his team is rationing his ap- pearances. He evaded media scrutiny for a second day Monday, skipping a series of campaign events. A day ear- lier, he also missed Channel 4’s television debate between the candidates, prompting the broadcaster to place an empty lectern on the debate stage. With more to lose than gain, Johnson’s absence is frustrating his opponents – all of whom want a chance to take him on directly. For- eign Secretary Jeremy Hunt suggested in a tweet that Johnson should step for- ward and face the others in public forums. Fellow contender Michael Gove compared Boris’s refusal to attend Sunday’s debate or Monday’s media events as “Hamlet without the prince.” “And, of course, we all re- member that at the end of ‘Hamlet,’ he isn’t the king. It ain’t over till it’s over,” he said. Conservative party leadership contender Boris Johnson leaves his home in London, Monday. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 18 JUNE 2019 Trump calls newspaper report on Russia power grid ‘treason’ WASHINGTON (AP) – Pres- ident Donald Trump has lashed out at The New York Times, saying it engaged in a “virtual act of treason” for a story that said the US was ramping up its cyber- intrusions into Russia’s power grid. The Times reported on Sat- urday that the US has bored into Russian utility systems in an escalating campaign meant to deter future cyber activity by Russia. It comes as the US looks for new ways to punish Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election and prevent a recurrence. The Times, in its offi- cial public relations ac- count, called Trump’s accu- sation “dangerous” and said it had told officials about the story before it was pub- lished and no security issues were raised. The newspaper, basing its reports on three months of interviews with current and former government of- ficials, said this campaign was conducted under new cyber authorities granted by Trump and Congress. But it also reported that two ad- ministration officials believed the president had not been briefed in detail, fearing he might countermand the ac- tion against Russia or reveal sensitive information to for- eign officials. In a pair of tweets sent Saturday night, Trump as- serted the story was not true and denounced reporters as “cowards”. “Do you believe that the Failing New York Times just did a story stating that the United States is substan- tially increasing Cyber At- tacks on Russia. This is a vir- tual act of Treason by a once great paper so desperate for a story, any story, even if bad for our Country,” he wrote. The story reported the de- ployment of American com- puter code into Russia’s grid and other targets to act as a deterrent. The newspaper also said the US Cyber Com- mand, part of the Department of Defense, has explored the possibility that Russia might try to initiate selective black- outs in key states to disrupt the 2020 election. In a second tweet, Trump added about the story: “ALSO, NOT TRUE! Any- thing goes with our Corrupt News Media today. They will do, or say, whatever it takes, with not even the slightest thought of consequence! These are true cowards and without doubt, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!” The New York Times’ re- sponse also noted that the paper described the article to government officials be- fore publication. “As our story notes, President Trump’s own national security officials said there were no concerns.” The paper said there was no evidence the US had actu- ally activated the cyber tools. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iran will break the uranium stockpile limit set by Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in the next 10 days, the spokesman for the country’s atomic agency said Monday while also warning that Iran could enrich uranium up to 20% – just a step away from weapons-grade levels. The announcement by Behrouz Kamalvandi, timed for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, puts more pressure on Europe to come up with new terms for Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal. The deal has steadily un- ravelled since the Trump ad- ministration pulled America out of the accord last year and re-imposed tough eco- nomic sanctions on Iran, deeply cutting into its sale of crude oil abroad and sending its economy into freefall. Eu- rope has so far been unable to offer Iran a way around the US sanctions. The development comes in the wake of apparent at- tacks on oil tankers last week in the Mideast, assaults that Washington has blamed on Iran. While Iran has denied being involved, it has used mines in the past against commercial traffic around the crucial Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil passes. Kamalvandi accused Eu- ropeans of “killing time” as the clock runs down. “If this condition con- tinues, there will be no deal” any more, Kamalvandi said. President Hassan Rou- hani, greeting France’s new ambassador to Tehran on Monday, similarly warned that time was running out for the deal. “The current situation is very critical and France and the other parties to the (deal) still have a very lim- ited opportunity to play their historic role for saving the deal,” Rouhani said, ac- cording to his website. Under terms of the nu- clear deal, Iran can keep a stockpile of no more than 660 pounds of low-enriched uranium. Kamalvandi said that given Iran’s recent de- cision to quadruple its pro- duction of low-enriched uranium, it would pass the 300-kilogram limit on Thursday, 27 June. The United Nations nu- clear watchdog, the Inter- national Atomic Energy Agency, said last month that Iran still remained within its stockpile limits. Kamalvandi said Iran needs 5% enrichment for its nuclear power plant in southern Iranian port of Bushehr and it also needs 20% enrichment for a Tehran research reactor. The nuclear deal had lim- ited Iran to enriching ura- nium only to 3.67%, which is enough for power plants and peaceful purposes. But after America’s pullout and escalated sanc- tions, Tehran set a 7 July deadline for Europe to come up with better terms for the deal, or it would take ad- ditional steps away from the accord, likely meaning it would boost enrich- ment further. Kamalvandi enforced that stance, saying that Tehran will increase uranium en- richment levels “based on the country’s needs”. Enriching a supply of uranium means boosting its concentration of the type of uranium that can power a nuclear reaction. That type, or isotope, is called U-235. Enrichment basically means stripping away atoms of an- other isotope, called U-238. Boosting its purity to 20% means removing 22 more unwanted isotopes per atom of U-235, while going from there to 90% purity means removing just four more per atom of U-235. Ninety per- cent is considered weapons- grade material. That means going from 20% to 90% is a relatively quicker process, something that worries nuclear nonpro- liferation experts. Iran main- tains its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. Iran reached its nuclear deal with world powers in 2015, agreeing to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Since President Donald Trump took office, the US has steadily stripped away at the accord. Trump pulled America out of the deal in May 2018. Tensions have ratch- eted up in the region since last month. The US rushed an aircraft carrier strike group and other military assets to the Mideast in re- sponse to what it said were threats from Iran. Mean- while, a series of mysterious attacks have targeted oil tankers and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched a series of drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia. Gen. Mohammad Hos- sein Bagheri, the chief of the general staff of Iran’s armed forces, denied Tehran was involved in the ship attacks, saying Monday the country only would respond in “an open, strong and severe way” if needed. However, Iran’s paramilitary Revolu- tionary Guard, which the US suspects in the attacks, answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and oper- ates outside of the ar- my’s control. Kamalvandi spoke to Iranian journalists in a news conference at the country’s Arak heavy water nuclear re- actor. Such reactors pro- duce plutonium that can be used in nuclear weapons. Iran, under the nuclear deal, had reconfigured the facility to address Western con- cerns on that issue. However, Kamalvandi said the country could re- build the facility to make it produce plutonium. He also said Iran would continue The Times reported on Saturday that the US has bored into Russian utility systems in an escalating campaign meant to deter future cyber activity by Russia. File photo shows a part of Arak heavy water nuclear facilities, near the central city of Arak, 150 miles southwest of the Iranian capital Tehran. – PHOTO: AP President Donald Trump has accused the New York Times of ‘treason’. – PHOTO: AP Iran says it will break uranium stockpile limit in 10 days to allow the UN to inspect its nuclear facilities for the time being. The US alleges Iran used limpet mines to target two tankers last Thursday, pointing to black-and- white footage it captured that American officials de- scribe as an Iranian Revo- lutionary Guard vessel re- moving an unexploded mine from the Japanese- operated tanker Kokuka Courageous, one of the two ships that were targeted. The Japanese tanker’s owner said its crew de- scribed “flying objects” as having targeted the vessel. In Brussels on Monday, European Union foreign ministers said they were still looking for more in- formation on who might be behind the incident in- volving the tankers. Ger- many and others insisted they need a clearer picture before wading into a diplo- matic conflict which could have serious implications in the Middle East. German Foreign Min- ister Heiko Maas said that US and British intelligence needs to be compared with other information from al- lies. “We have to be very careful,” he said. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said it was not a time to jump to action without proper in- formation. “The maximum restraint and wisdom should be applied,” she said ahead of the monthly foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg.Next >