ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2019 High of 90 Low of 80 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. SPORTS | PAGE 12 ACADEMY FINDS SUCCESS AT 2019 USA CUP LOCAL | PAGE 5 KAABOO TO ANNOUNCE LINEUP BY SUMMER’S END THROUGH A NEW STRATEGIC ALLIANCE A STRONGER, BRIGHTER FUTURE LIES AHEAD FOR GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESS. CAYMAN NATIONAL — PROUDLY GROWING WITH THE CAYMAN ISLANDS FOR 45 YEARS. CAYMAN ISLANDS | ISLE OF MAN | DUBAI A Subsidiary of Boris Johnson wins race to become UK’s next prime minister LONDON (AP) – Brexit hard-liner Boris Johnson, one of Britain’s most famous and divisive poli- ticians, won the race to lead the governing Conservative Party on Tuesday, and will become the next prime minister on Wednesday. Then he will have just over three months to make good on his promise to lead the country out of the European Union. Johnson resoundingly defeated rival Jeremy Hunt in the Con- servative leadership contest, win- ning two-thirds of the votes in a ballot of about 160,000 party members across the UK. He will be installed as prime minister Wednesday in a formal handover from Theresa May. In a brief speech to hun- dreds of party members and law- makers gathered for the announce- ment, Johnson radiated optimism, pledging to “deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn”, leader of the opposition Labour Party. “I think we know that we can do it, and that the people of this country are trusting in us to do it and we know that we will do it,” said Johnson, a former London mayor and foreign secretary. “I say to all the doubters: Dude, we are going to energize the country, we are going to get Brexit done.” Cayman Premier Alden McLaughlin said he looked for- ward to working with the new prime minister. Johnson, McLaughlin said in a statement, “has long been a friend to the Cayman Islands, joining us most recently last year as we cel- ebrated the 60th anniversary of our Coat of Arms at a ceremony in London. “I look forward to the Joint Ministerial Council Conference in London in November this year,” he added, “when we will have the opportunity to meet with members of Mr. Johnson’s gov- ernment to discuss matters of common interest between the UK and the Cayman Islands and the way forward.” Government considering single-use plastics ban JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Government has set up a com- mittee to consider whether to ban single-use plastics. Environment Minister Dwayne Seymour made the commitment in a written response to a parliamentary question posed by George Town leg- islator Kenneth Bryan. Seymour said his ministry was given Cabinet approval on 9 July to “develop a policy towards reducing the human health and the environ- mental harms of single-use plastics in the Cayman Islands”. He made no direct commitment to an outright ban on single-use plastics – something environmental groups have called for. Bryan welcomed the response and said he would seek to hold government accountable to make Cayman plastic free. Linda Clark, of Plastic Free Cayman, one of the groups that has campaigned for a ban on single-use plastics, said the minister’s com- ments were encouraging. “I am delighted to hear that some progress is being made on acknowl- edging and implementing solutions to the seriousness of plastic pollu- tion to our health and environment, which of course in Cayman drives the success of our tourism economy.” Seymour said a steering com- mittee involving government offi- cials, businesses, distributors and grocers, environmental groups and a youth parliament representative, chaired by himself and Planning Minister Joey Hew, would consider the extent and validity of the con- cerns about single-use plastics. The committee will seek public input over a 90-day period and de- velop a policy “to mitigate human health and environmental harms of single-use plastics”, and examine the need for any changes to legislation. A report will be submitted to Cabinet for a decision, Seymour wrote. Bryan posed the question at the last LA session last month and re- ceived his written answer last week. He welcomed the response and urged government to get on with it. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL®IONAL WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – The lights went out across much of Venezuela, reviving fears of the blackouts that plunged the country into chaos a few months ago as the government once again accused opponents of sab‑ otaging the nation’s hydro‑ electric power system. The power in the capital went out after 4pm Monday and immediately backed up traffic as stop lights and the subway stopped working during rush hour. As night fell in Caracas many were wondering how long they would be left in the dark. “This is horrible, a dis‑ aster,” Reni Blanco, a 48‑year‑old teacher, said as she joined a crush of people who flooded into the streets of the capital trying to make it home be‑ fore nightfall. Almost three hours into the blackout authori‑ ties broke their silence and blamed an “electromag‑ netic attack” on a series of dams located in southern Venezuela – the same cul‑ prit it attributed an almost week‑long outage in March that left millions of Vene‑ zuelans without water or the ability to communicate with loved ones. “Those who’ve system‑ atically attacked the noble people of Venezuela in all kinds of ways will once again be confronted with the mettle and courage that we, the children of our lib‑ erator Simón Bolívar, have demonstrated in the face of difficulties,” Communi‑ cations Minister Jorge Rod‑ ríguez said in a statement read on state TV. Rodíguez said author‑ ities were working to re‑ store electricity as quickly as possible. BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 1:25 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 SUN: 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 KALANK (PG) 3:10 I 9:00 (SAT ONLY) I 9:30 (NO SAT) SUN: 3:10 I 9:20 LITTLE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:25 (SAT ONLY) I 3:50 (NO SAT) 6:50 I 9:45 SUN: 3:50 I 6:50 I 9:35 DUMBO 10:30 (SAT ONLY) I 4:35 I 7:15 (NO SAT) SUN: 4:35 I 7:15 CAPTAIN MARVEL 1:40 I 10:00 (NO SAT) SUN: 6:30 I 10:00 THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 1:10 VIP I 4:35 I 7:00 VIP I 10:15 HELLBOY (R) 12:35 (SAT ONLY) I 1:00 I 6:10 (SAT ONLY) I 6:45 SHAZAM! (PG13) 1:30 I 3:40 VIP I 7:15 I 9:30 VIP SUN: 3:40 VIP I 4:40 I 6:40 VIP 8:00 I 9:40 VIP KIDS CLUB: OVER THE HEDGE 10:00 (SAT ONLY) CULTURE AT THE CINEMA: THE TRAGEDY OF KIND RICHARD THE SECOND 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) SPIDER-MAN FAR (PG13) FROM HOME 12:45 3D | 6:50 3D | 9:50 VIP | 9:50 MEN IN BLACK (PG13) INTERNATIONAL 1:35 | 4:20 | 7:05 | 9:50 THE LION KING (2019) (PG) 12:30 3D | 1:00 VIP I 1:50 | 3:30 3D | 4:10 VIP | 6:45 | 7:00 VIP | 9:30 3D TOY STORY 4 (G) 1:30 | 4:00 | 6:30 | 9:00 CRAWL (R) 4:40 | 7:20 | 10:00 MUCH OF VENEZUELA IN DARK AFTER MASSIVE BLACKOUT Mexico sets 1st half murder record, up 5.3% MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico set a new record for homicides in the first half of the year as the number of murders grew by 5.3% compared to the same period of 2018, fuelled partly by cartel and gang violence in several states. Mexico saw 3,080 killings in June, an increase of over 8% from the same month a year ago, according to official figures. The country of al‑ most 125 million now sees as many as 100 killings per day nationwide. The 17,608 killings in the first half of 2019 is the most since comparable records began being kept in 1997, in‑ cluding the peak year of Mex‑ ico’s drug war in 2011. Offi‑ cials said 16,714 people were killed in the first half of 2018. In particular, drug cartel turf wars have become in‑ creasingly bloody in the northern state of Sonora, where the number of homi‑ cides was up by 69% in the first half of the year. But in Sinaloa, where the cartel of convicted drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is based, homicides declined by 23% so far this year compared to last. Given cutbacks and a widespread reorganisa‑ tion of security forces under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, it is not clear who, if anyone, is doing the analysis and intelligence work to find out exactly which conflicts are causing the rise in homicides. “I could give you 10 po‑ tential, plausible reasons, but the truth is we don’t know, and that is perhaps the big‑ gest problem,” said secu‑ rity analyst Alejandro Hope. “There is very little system‑ atic research that would allow us to conclude what is really happening.” And other types of crime, like extortion, have be‑ come increasingly frequent and violent. As if to underscore that, officials said Monday the five men killed Sunday at a bar in the resort of Acapulco were allegedly part of a gang of ex‑ tortionists who shook down business owners for protec‑ tion payments. Guerrero state prosecutor Jorge Zuriel “we now know that the members of this gang met daily at this bar to coordinate charging extortion payments and to collect the daily take”. One suspect has been ar‑ rested in the shootings, which left six people wounded. Zu‑ riel said the killers were members of a rival gang. The country of almost 125 million now sees as many as 100 killings per day nationwide. CORRECTION In a story that ran on 23 July entitled, ‘Tickets on sale for Miss Cayman Universe Pageant’, the price of the pageant tickets was incorrectly stated. The ticket price is $75. Workers of a forensic service transport the lifeless body of a man who was killed Sunday by gunmen inside a bar in the tourist area of Acapulco Guerrero, in Mexico. – PHOTO: AP People wait for public transportation on a street during a blackout Monday in Caracas, Venezuela. – PHOTO: AP Cayman leading multinational gold smuggling inquiry $4 million gold seizure linked to Cayman investigation The seizure of more than $4 million worth of gold at London’s Heathrow airport was the result of intelligence from a Cayman Islands‑led smuggling investigation. The 230lbs of doré gold – a semi pure alloy of gold and silver – confiscated at Heathrow made world head‑ lines after it was revealed by the UK National Crime Agency at the weekend. But it is just one part of a complex, multinational in‑ vestigation that began with the seizure of a small private plane in Grand Cayman. The smuggling inquiry now involves investigators in Panama and the US as well as the UK and Cayman. Police and border control officers in Cayman began the inquiry in May into criminal gangs they believed were in‑ volved in money laundering and smuggling gold through the Cayman Islands to Europe, according to a press release issued by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service Tuesday. As part of that investiga‑ tion a private plane was in‑ tercepted at Owen Roberts International Airport. A large quantity of cash was found hidden inside the plane, which was seized and im‑ pounded in Cayman. Four Venezuelan na‑ tionals were arrested and charged with being engaged in smuggling in relation to the inquiry. Two of the men have also been charged with money laundering. All four have been remanded in cus‑ tody in the Cayman Islands after preliminary appear‑ ances in Summary Court. The UK‑based National Crime Agency revealed this weekend that it had seized more than 230lbs of gold at Heathrow, thought to orig‑ inate from a South Amer‑ ican drug cartel opera‑ tion that used Cayman as a stopping point. “It was being transported from the Cayman Islands to Switzerland, having earlier been shipped to the Caymans on a private jet which had arrived from Venezuela,” an NCA press release read. “The gold is now the sub‑ ject of a money laundering investigation being run by the Cayman authorities, with the assistance of the NCA.” Police in Cayman clari‑ fied Tuesday that the gold seized at Heathrow ‑ moved as freight on a UK bound flight ‑ was directly linked to the investigation taking place in Cayman. “The investigation estab‑ lished that two consignments of doré gold had transited the Cayman Islands en route to the United Kingdom. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service and Cayman Islands Customs and Border Control requested the assistance of the UK National Crime Agency to intercept the shipments,” the press release stated. Both shipments were sub‑ sequently confiscated by UK authorities and have now been formally seized by court order under the UK Proceeds of Crime Act. Derek Byrne, Commis‑ sioner of Police in Cayman, said, “The disruption of crim‑ inal asset flows and interna‑ tional money laundering ac‑ tivity is a powerful way to fight organised crime net‑ works, and we are com‑ mitted to preventing such asset flows through the ju‑ risdiction of the Cayman Is‑ lands. Close and mutual co‑ operation with international law enforcement, as demon‑ strated in this case, is abso‑ lutely essential to the reach and effectiveness of our col‑ lective efforts.” These gold bars were among nearly 230 pounds of gold seized by UK authorities on 1 June. - PHOTO: UK NATIONAL CRIME AGENCYThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2019 The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 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. WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS 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” LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Gay marriage: disagreement vs disrespect I appreciate all of the perspectives and views that have been shared, and while I agree that le- galising same-sex mar- riage is a life-changing op- portunity for many and must be discussed, I would like to propose that there is a bigger issue here that needs to be primarily ad- dressed over whether or not same-sex marriage should be legalised. I ask everyone reading, that just for a moment, in- stead of focussing on what is right or wrong in this con- troversial topic, [to] focus on what we all collectively know and agree to be right and wrong, and to focus on holding everyone account- able for those standards. To the Christians who are reading, although you have every right to disagree with same-sex marriage, please reevaluate how you make your approach. There is a bigger problem happening here of which I would like to bring to your attention. This problem lies in the fact that our gov- ernment feels comfort- able publicly disrespecting and threatening the lives of homosexuals. Most of us saw or heard comments from our elec- tives, speaking of uninvit- edly invading the privacy of a same-sex wedding, or electives who referred to his gun ‘Betsy’ while saying he would get it if anyone came around him talking about le- galising same-sex marriage, and distasteful jokes such as ‘Gay-pril’. The worst part, is that these people are calling themselves Christians. Dare I say that this is a greater injustice to the gospel and to the church’s mission than any law that gets passed. This harmful behaviour directly opposes everything Jesus stood for. Did Jesus not stop the Pharisees from stoning the adulterous woman, before showing her that her choices thus far led to death? (John 8:1-11). He saved her and protected her before he corrected her. How dare we call our- selves Christians and think we have a right to correct those for whom we would not first defend, protect or die for in their times of need, just as our saviour did for us. Jesus died for us, while we were still living in sin (Romans 5:8), before we were even aware of the sin in our lives. How much more should we do this for others? Am I then suggesting that you must accept life- styles of which you believe to be wrong? No, you are not forced to accept. As Pastor Al wisely pointed out in previous let- ters, acceptance does not always mean love, and disagreeing does not al- ways mean hate. However, if we want to make a difference in the lives of people, we must earn our place in speaking to someone’s heart, and not assume we have the right to tell people how to live simply because we are Christians. I challenge every Chris- tian in the Cayman Islands, stand firm in the lifestyle you believe to be right, and even when you do not agree with others’ lifestyle, do not neglect the opportunity to protect, serve and de- fend them just as Jesus did and continues to do in all of our lives. Confront the ‘Chris- tians’ who are speaking foul about homosexuals and who are threatening their well-being or safety; for this is the greatest disgrace to the gospel and ministry of Jesus. To the non-religious people and to homosexuals who have embraced this lifestyle or for those of you who are still searching for answers, I am sorry for the hurt you have endured from either false Christians, or imperfect Christians (aka all of us) and I ask for your forgiveness. I encourage you to read the Bible for yourself and you will find it helpful in identifying who are Chris- tians and who only claim to be Christians. Do not allow hypocrit- ical Christians to warp your view of Jesus or his true followers; for it was the hypocritical religious leaders who murdered Jesus Christ and denounced eve- rything he stood for (Mat- thew 23:13-33). Recognise that there are Christians who love you and want the best for you, who may not dabble in your life- style but want to be a part of your life and bear your bur- dens. You are not as far gone as they say you are, and you are loved deeply by God. If you are still searching for clarity on this topic, seek God, not answers. If you are Muslim, Mormon, Christian, atheist, agnostic, gay, straight, transgender, I think we can all agree that this behav- iour from the government is unacceptable and I would challenge us all, though dif- ferent and though we may not agree with every detail of one another’s lives – [to] agree that everyone is de- serving of being respected and feeling safe. Let’s respectfully stand united against this type of hateful and belligerent be- haviour from our leaders towards homosexuals, and any human who is being cast out or oppressed. I will leave you with this quote from Andy Mineo: “You do not have to agree with somebody’s lifestyle to stand up for them when they are mistreated. Our hearts should break for any human being treated un- justly. Those of differing re- ligious views, sexual orien- tation or ethnicity. They are made in God’s image and have eternal value.” Amy Mobley ROAD DECONGESTION SUGGESTION Grand Cayman, being a small island and all the traffic coming from the same area all at once, and if every employee walks out the door at the same time trying to get home as quickly as pos- sible it’s no wonder that there are traffic jams at the bottleneck areas. Just a thought: If the areas most populated with employees were to be di- vided into four divisions and four starting and quit- ting times, for example, 8:15am-4:15pm, 8:30am- 4:30pm, 8:45am-4:45pm, 9am-5pm, allowing mo- torists time to get over the road in smaller groups, this may help. Ross Sillery [I]f we want to make a difference in the lives of people, we must earn our place in speaking to someone’s heart, and not assume we have the right to tell people how to live simply because we are Christians.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2019 KAABOO to announce lineup by summer’s end KAABOO Cayman organ- isers say they plan to an- nounce the lineup and dates for their February music fes- tival in the coming weeks. Chief brand and mar- keting officer Jason Felts said unlike the first year of the festival, when the lineup was announced in May, this year the organisers decided to wait until later. “Oftentimes festivals don’t announce that early unless it’s a new market and more ‘education’ time is needed,” Felts said in an email. “This was the case for the early announcement ahead of the February 2019 event. “KAABOO Cayman and it’s partners will be determining the next brand announcement by end of summer,” he added. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and support and hope everyone is enjoying the summer.” KAABOO, which now pro- duces festivals at three sites – San Diego, Dallas and Cayman – hosts its signature event in San Diego (Del Mar) in September. Early ticket sales for the 2020 Cayman festival were offered to 2019 concertgoers on 21 Feb., just five days after the final day of the inau- gural event. Electronic pay- ment problems resulted in a suspension of the sales and weeks of sorting out pay- ments and adjustments on customer accounts. There has been no mecha- nism to purchase 2020 tickets since then. Financial services bills dominate LA agenda The Legislative As- sembly is back in session Wednesday with a raft of new financial services leg- islation under consideration. The majority of the 15 bills scheduled for debate seek to address gaps in the Cayman Islands’ regula- tory framework identified in a recent report from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force. The report was critical of how Cayman’s anti-money laundering and counter fi- nancing of terrorism regime works in practice. A handful of unrelated bills, including changes to the Public Lands Law and the Public Service Pen- sions regime, are also up for debate. Despite the lengthy list of legislation, the sessions is expected to last only three days. Financial Services Min- ister Tara Rivers said in a statement last week that the new legislation was im- portant to help solidify Cay- man’s global reputation. Minister Rivers said, “The government is committed to addressing the recommenda- tions outlined in the CFATF fourth round mutual evalua- tion report to further cement our standing as a responsible and responsive jurisdiction in the global fight against money laundering and ter- rorist financing.” FOUR ARRESTED IN WEST BAY DRUG BUST Police have arrested four people on suspicion of drug violations following a raid at an address off Town Hall Road in West Bay on Friday afternoon. Police said they were alerted to the site by local residents concerned that drugs were being sold at the location. Officials said they searched several people and found evidence of drug use, recovering drug parapher- nalia and a small amount of cocaine. Two women and two men, all of West Bay were arrested. One man, 41, was arrested for consumption of a controlled drug, posses- sion of cocaine, with intent to supply and possession of drug paraphernalia. The women, 58 and 64, and the other man, 48, were arrested on suspicion of con- sumption of a controlled drug and being concerned in the possession of cocaine with intent to supply. All four have been bailed as investigations continue. Fans cheer during day one of the KAABOO Cayman music festival on 15 Feb. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY The majority of the 15 bills scheduled for debate seek to address gaps in the Cayman Islands’ regulatory framework identified in a recent report from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS In the meantime, McLaughlin said, “We wish him well as he navigates the issue of Brexit.” US President Donald Trump, who has praised Johnson in the past, tweeted his congratulations and said he will be “great”. Trump has been very critical of May’s inability to achieve a Brexit deal and has said Johnson will do a better job. Hunt, who trailed in the polls throughout the contest, said he was sure Johnson would “do a great job”. “He’s got optimism, en- thusiasm, he puts a smile on people’s face and he has total, unshakable confidence in our amazing country,” said Hunt, who is likely to be re- moved as foreign secretary by the new prime minister. May stepped down after Parliament repeatedly re- jected the withdrawal agree- ment she struck with the 28-nation bloc. Famed for his bravado, quips in Latin and blond mop of hair, Johnson wooed Conservatives by promising to succeed where May failed and lead the UK out of the EU on the scheduled date of 31 Oct. – with or without a divorce deal. Johnson insists he can get the EU to renegotiate – some- thing the bloc insists it will not do. If not, he says Britain must leave the EU by the deadline, “come what may”. Economists warn that a no-deal Brexit would disrupt trade and plunge the UK into recession. Fears that Britain is inching closer to crashing out of the bloc weighed on the pound once again Tuesday. The currency was down an- other 0.3% at $1.2450, nearly a two-year low. Carolyn Fairbairn, di- rector of the Confederation of British Industry, said busi- nesses needed a withdrawal agreement with the EU to re- store confidence that has been badly shaken by uncertainty about the terms of Brexit. “On Brexit, the new prime minister must not underesti- mate the benefits of a good deal,” she said. The EU is adamant that the deal it struck with May will not be renegotiated. Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negoti- ator, said he looked forward “to working constructively” with the new Conservative leader “to facilitate the rati- fication of the Withdrawal Agreement”. British lawmakers are due to start a six-week summer break on Friday. When they come back in September, Johnson looks set for a fight with Parliament over his plans. He will preside over a House of Commons in which most members op- pose leaving the EU without a deal, and where the Con- servative Party lacks an overall majority. Education Minister Anne Milton and International De- velopment Secretary Rory Stewart on Tuesday became the latest ministers to an- nounce they were quitting before they could be shuffled or demoted by Johnson. They and others plan to resist any push for a no- deal Brexit. “We’ll have to see what Boris can muster,” said Margot James, who quit last week as digital minister but remains a Conservative law- maker. She said she doubted Johnson would be able to get a new Brexit deal by the deadline. “The default position is leaving without a deal, and there is a significant majority in Parliament who will work very hard to sure that doesn’t happen. And I will be among that number.” “I am hoping govern- ment will follow through with a commitment to try to get Cayman as plastic free as possible. “It is something that my generation and generations to come are committed to, and I want to see govern- ment put their money where their mouth is, and not just blow hot air.” Clark said Plastic Free Cayman and other organ- isations had campaigned for a single-use plastics ban because of the moun- tain of scientific evidence of the harm they were doing to the environment. She said there were daily exam- ples of their impact on ma- rine life in Cayman and sug- gested it was concerning that government felt the need to assess the “validity” of such concerns. More than a third of Caribbean countries have banned the use of single-use plastic bags or Styrofoam, according to a recent World Bank analysis. Government considering single-use plastics ban Two medical emergencies require evacuation from Brac Two individuals were evacuated from Cayman Brac to Grand Cayman by helicopter Saturday in re- sponse to separate medical emergencies. A woman suffering pos- sible heart failure was trans- ported to Grand Cayman Saturday morning by the RCIPS Air Operations Unit. The woman had first trav- elled from Little Cayman to Cayman Brac by boat and had hoped to be evac- uated to Grand Cayman on Friday night. Police say they were un- able to deploy Friday, how- ever, due to inclement weather. “Her condition had stabi- lized overnight, but she still required attention from car- diac specialists,” an RCIPS press statement said. “The situation was re- viewed early Saturday morning and the decision made to conduct the evacua- tion, which was completed by 8:15am when she was trans- ferred to EMS staff.” A second medical evac- uation was required later that day following a single- vehicle collision on Cayman Brac. Police report a man lost control of his motor- cycle, leaving the roadway and suffering non-life- threatening injuries. “Because the earlier crew had been further deployed during the day on police tasks, a second helicopter crew was called in and de- ployed,” police reported. “They completed the evac- uation by 6:15pm. The man remains in hospital in se- rious but stable condition.” The RCIPS Air Operations Unit arrives to Grand Cayman on Saturday following a medical evacuation from Cayman Brac. - PHOTO: RCIPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Boris Johnson wins race to become UK’s next prime minister Boris Johnson poses with Premier Alden McLaughlin at a Tory conference in Manchester in October 2017. A second medical evacuation was required later that day following a single-vehicle collision on Cayman Brac. “ I say to all the doubters: Dude, we are going to energize the country, we are going to get Brexit done.” BORIS JOHNSONThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2019 Trump threatens Guatemala on asylum deal US President Donald Trump is threatening Guatemala over immigration after its high court blocked its government from signing an asylum deal with the US. Trump says he will look at targeting money that Guatemalans working in the US send back to their country, or at imposing tariffs as punishment. South Korea fires warning shots at Russian aircraft SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korean air force jets fired 360 rounds of warning shots Tuesday after a Rus- sian military plane twice vio- lated South Korea’s airspace off the country’s east coast, Seoul officials said in an an- nouncement that was quickly disputed by Russia. South Korea said three Russian military planes – two Tu-95 bombers and one A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft – entered the South’s air defence identi- fication zone off its east coast before the A-50 intruded in South Korean airspace. Russia said later that two of its Tu-95MS bombers were on a routine flight over neu- tral waters and did not enter South Korean territory. According to South Ko- rean government accounts, an unspecified number of South Korean fighter jets, in- cluding F-16s, scrambled to the area and fired 10 flares and 80 rounds from machine guns as warning shots. Seoul defence officials said the Russian reconnais- sance aircraft left the area three minutes later but later returned and violated South Korean airspace again for four minutes. The officials said the South Korean fighter jets then fired 10 flares and 280 rounds from machine guns as warning shots. South Korea said it was the first time a foreign mili- tary plane had violated South Korean airspace since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff summoned Russia’s acting ambassador and its defence attache to protest. Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that its planes did not enter South Korean airspace. It also said South Korean fighter jets did not fire any warning shots, though it said they flew near the Russian planes in what it called “unprofessional ma- neuvers” and posed a threat. “If the Russian pilots felt there was a security threat, they would have responded,” the statement said. South Korea’s presiden- tial national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, told top Rus- sian security official Nikolai Patrushev that South Korea views Russia’s airspace viola- tion “very seriously” and will take “much stronger” meas- ures if a similar incident oc- curs, according to South Ko- rea’s presidential office. Pavel Felgenhauer, an in- dependent Russian military analyst, told The Associated Press he believed the incur- sion could have been a navi- gation mistake. He also sug- gested the incident would not have serious consequences because “South Korea right now is not very interested in pressing this into a kind of long-term worsening of relations.” The former Soviet Union supported North Korea and provided the country with weapons during the Korean War, which killed millions. In 1983, a Soviet air force fighter jet fired an air-to-air missile at a South Korean passenger plane that strayed into So- viet territory, killing all 269 people on board. Relations between Seoul and Moscow gradually improved, and they established diplomatic ties in 1990, a year before the breakup of the Soviet Union. The airspace that South Korea says the Russian war- plane violated is above a group of South Korean-held islets roughly halfway be- tween South Korea and Japan that have been a source of ter- ritorial disputes between the two Asian countries. Russia is not part of those disputes. Japan, which claims own- ership over the islets, pro- tested to South Korea for firing warning shots over Japanese airspace. South Korea later countered that it cannot accept the Japanese statement, repeating that the islets are South Korean terri- tory. Japan also protested to Russia for allegedly violating Japanese airspace. South Korea said the three Russian planes en- tered the South Korean air defence identification zone with two Chinese bombers. South Korea said the Chinese planes did not intrude upon South Korean airspace. The Russian statement accused South Korean air- craft of trying to hamper the flights of Russian jets be- fore “a vague missile defence identification area” that it said South Korea unilaterally defined. Russia said it had raised its concerns about the zone before. Before their reported joint flights with the Rus- sian planes, the Chinese war- planes entered South Korea’s air defence identification zone off its southwest coast earlier Tuesday, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said. Seoul says Chinese planes have oc- casionally entered South Ko- rea’s air defence identifica- tion zone in recent years. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and Joint Chiefs of Staff registered their of- ficial protests with Beijing when they summoned Chi- na’s ambassador and de- fence attache. Chinese For- eign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she was not clear about the situation but noted that the air defence identification zone is not ter- ritorial airspace and others are entitled to fly through it. She took issue with a re- porter’s use of the word “vi- olation” to ask about China’s reported activity in South Ko- rea’s air defence identifica- tion zone. “I feel that given China and South Korea are friendly neighbours, you should be careful when using it, because we are not clear about the situation,” she said. A Russian A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft is photographed Tuesday flying near the Korean-controlled island called Takeshima. – PHOTO: AP KIM INSPECTS NEW SUB, WANTS NORTH KOREA’S MILITARY BOLSTERED SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected a newly built submarine and ordered officials to further bolster the country’s military capabilities, state media re- ported Tuesday, as the North increases pressure on the United States ahead of the possible resumption of nu- clear diplomacy. Last week, North Korea said it may lift its 20-month suspension of nuclear and missile tests to protest ex- pected military drills be- tween the United States and South Korea that Pyong- yang says are an inva- sion rehearsal. The submarine report comes as the US and North Korea work to resume talks after a meeting late last month on the Korean border between Kim and President Donald Trump. Diplomacy has been stalled since the second Kim-Trump summit in Vietnam in February fell apart due to differences over US-led sanctions on North Korea. The North’s official Ko- rean Central News Agency re- ported Tuesday that Kim ex- pressed “great satisfaction” with the submarine after learning about its opera- tional and tactical data and weapon systems. Kim “stressed the need to steadily and reliably increase the national defense capa- bility by directing big efforts to the development of the naval weapons and equip- ment such as submarine”, ac- cording to KCNA. KCNA said the subma- rine’s operational deployment “is near at hand”. But it didn’t say exactly when or where Kim’s inspection of the sub- marine occurred. The construction of a new submarine suggests North Korea has been increasing its military capability despite nuclear diplomacy with the US that began early last year. North Korea has repeatedly said it’s willing to abandon its nuclear programme in return for political and eco- nomic benefits. It was not immediately known exactly what kind of a submarine North Korea has built. But its efforts to de- velop submarine-launched missile systems are a se- rious concern for rivals and neighbours because missiles from submerged vessels are harder to detect in advance. According to a South Korean defence report in 2018, North Korea has 70 submarines and submersibles. Before it entered talks with the United States, North Korea claimed to have suc- cessfully test-fired ballistic missiles from submarines, though many outside ana- lysts say the country likely remains years away from having an operational system. There has been little public progress despite the most recent Trump-Kim meeting, and the North’s release of the submarine photos could be a way to both increase pressure on the United States ahead of any renewed talks and remind its rival of its demands. South Korea said it was the first time a foreign military plane had violated South Korean airspace since the end of the 1950‑53 Korean War.8 WORLD®IONAL WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Former Chinese Premier Li Peng dies BEIJING (AP) – Li Peng, a former hard-line Chinese premier best known for an- nouncing martial law during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests that ended with a bloody crackdown by troops, has died. He was 90. China’s official Xinhua News Agency said Li died Monday of an unspeci- fied illness. His death was not announced until Tuesday evening. Li, a keen political in- fighter, spent two decades at the pinnacle of power before retiring in 2002. He left be- hind a legacy of prolonged and broad-based economic growth coupled with authori- tarian political controls. While broadly disliked by the public, he oversaw Chi- na’s reemergence from post- Tiananmen isolation to rising global diplomatic and eco- nomic clout, a development he celebrated in public state- ments that often were defi- antly nationalistic. “Ridding themselves from the predicament of imperi- alist bullying, humiliation and oppression, the calamity- trodden Chinese people have since stood up,” Li said in 1995 in a speech for the Oct. 1 anniversary of the 1949 revo- lution that brought the ruling Communist Party to power. One reminder of Li will likely stand for ages to come: During his final years in power, he pushed through approval for his pet project – the gargantuan $22 billion Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, which forced 1.3 million people to leave homes that were swallowed up by its enormous reservoir. Li, who became acting premier in November 1987, triumphed over pro-reform party leader Zhao Ziyang in 1989 after the fellow native of Sichuan province was toppled from power for sympathising with the student protesters at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. “The situation will not de- velop as you wish and ex- pect,” an angry Li told student leaders in a confrontational meeting on May 18, 1989. The next night, Li, flushed with anger, went on national television to announce mar- tial law in Beijing. “The anarchic state is going from bad to worse,” he said. “We are forced to take resolute and decisive measures to put an end to the turmoil.” On the night of 3-4 June, troops invaded the city, killing hundreds, and per- haps thousands, of Beijing residents on their way to ending the student occupa- tion of Tiananmen Square. China acknowledged Li’s role, but in a positive way, in a lengthy eulogy read Tuesday night by a newscaster on state broadcaster CCTV. Li joined the majority of the leadership in taking “res- olute measures to prevent turmoil, quell the counter- revolutionary riots and sta- bilize the domestic situation”, the eulogy read in part. “He played an important role in the great struggle that con- cerns the future and destiny of the party and the nation.” Li stepped down as pre- mier in 1998, becoming chairman of the National People’s Congress, China’s parliament. He retired from the party’s seven-member ruling Standing Committee in 2002 as part of a long- planned handover of power to a younger generation of leaders headed by Hu Jintao. In his later years, Li rarely appeared in public, and was usually seen only at official gatherings aimed at displaying unity, such as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Lib- eration Army in 2007. As his profile waned, he re- portedly began lobbying older colleagues to support his chil- dren’s political ambitions. One of his two sons, Li Xiaopeng, was the governor of Shanxi province before becoming transport minister in 2016. A cautious and unin- spiring figure, Li was one of the few leaders to inspire real dislike among the na- tion’s masses, although he was said to inspire loyalty among his subordinates. Born in October 1928 in Chengdu, a city in south- western China, he was adopted by the late Premier Zhou Enlai after Li’s father, an early communist revo- lutionary, was killed by the rival Nationalists in 1931. He shrugged off ques- tions of nepotism, saying he was one of many war or- phans cared for by Zhou and his wife, Deng Yingchao. But he did say that “their ideals and moral influence had a profound influence on my upbringing”. Li joined the Communist Party in 1945 after joining Zhou, Mao Zedong and others at their wartime guerrilla base of Yan’an in the northwest. After spending six years as an engineering student in Moscow, Li worked as an en- gineer for a decade in north- eastern China. He was named director of the Beijing Electric Power Administration in 1966, and according to official biog- raphies, was responsible for ensuring a stable power supply to Beijing and Tianjin during the chaos of the Cul- tural Revolution. Li headed what was called the ‘power industry family’. His daughter Li Xiaolin was a prominent figure in the state power sector. Her retire- ment as CEO of China Power International Development in 2015 was seen by some as part of current Chinese Pres- ident Xi Jinping’s moves to uproot leaders’ children from highly visible positions in the state sector. Li rose quickly after 1979, and in 1985 became a member of the party’s decision-making Politburo with an education portfolio. It was in that role that he established himself as a conservative, telling stu- dents in 1985 that China can never become capitalist: “To allow bourgeois freedoms would only make our coun- try’s affairs chaotic.” His tough stance when students staged pro-democ- racy demonstrations in Bei- jing, Shanghai and other cities in late 1986 and early 1987 helped him win a post on the powerful Politburo Standing Committee, leading to his showdown with the re- form-minded Zhao over Tian- anmen in 1989. Former Chinese Premier Li Peng has died, aged 90. – PHOTO: AP He left behind a legacy of prolonged and broad-based economic growth coupled with authoritarian political controls.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 Business CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 24 JULY 2019 Alibaba opens platform to US businesses Looking to juice its growth, China’s e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba will allow nearly 30 million small- and medium-sized businesses from the US to sell on its platform in the US and around the globe. US businesses, until Tuesday, were only able to buy merchandise on Alibaba.com. The Family of the Late Ellese Adella McLaughlin regret to announce her passing on Saturday, 6 July 2019. A Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, 28 July 2019 at the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church, Creek, Cayman Brac. Viewing will be from 1:00 p.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow at the Creek Cemetery. Condolences can be registered at www.boddenfuneralservices.com & Bodden Funeral Service Facebook page European Central Bank could act before Fed to add stimulus Tony’s Toys turns 20 Tony’s Toys Automotive Centre is celebrating 20 years of being in business in the Cayman Islands. As part of its year-long celebrations, the company, owned by Tony Williams, is giving away a 2020 Nissan Kicks crossover SUV. Customers who purchase $100 or more of parts and/or services at Tony’s Toys will be eligible to enter the draw for a chance to win the new car. In addition, one dollar from every entry will go to the YMCA, of which Williams is a founding board member. “I am blessed to be a part of the Cayman auto- motive industry for the past 20 years and I know that this milestone for Tony’s Toys could not have been achieved without the sup- port of our loyal customers who entrust us to keep them safe on the roads every day,” Williams said. “We are pleased to be working with our partners Fidelity and Shell to offer this amazing prize as our way of thanking our customers and the public for their patronage. Giving someone a car, in my opinion, will be the per- fect culmination of what has been a wonderful year of festivity.” The promotion will run until 7 Dec. FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – The European Central Bank could take action including a possible rate cut at its policy meeting on Thursday, as cen- tral banks around the globe rev up stimulus to support the world economy through a period of heightened un- certainty from trade wars and Brexit. The ECB, which sets in- terest rates for the 19 Euro- pean Union member coun- tries that use the euro, is expected by many analysts to at least tweak its promise to keep interest rates at rock- bottom levels into next year. The new wording would em- phasise that the next move down the road could be a cut. But a rate cut Thursday is not out of the question ei- ther – even though one of the rate benchmarks is already below zero. That would see the ECB moving ahead of an expected rate reduction from the US Federal Reserve, which has an outsized role due to the size of the US economy and the dollar’s status as an in- ternational currency for bor- rowing and trade. Fed offi- cials have signalled they may cut rates at their 30 July-31 meeting, from the current benchmark federal funds rate of 2.25-2.5%. Central banks in South Korea, Indonesia and South Africa have already cut rates in recent days. Analysts at bank Morgan Stanley predict the ECB will cut its deposit rate from minus 0.4% to minus 0.5% at the bank’s 12 Sept. meeting or before and “wouldn’t be surprised if this was to happen already” at Thurs- day’s meeting. The negative rate means banks pay to keep cash overnight at the ECB, a penalty aimed at pushing them to lend the money. “The main question is whether the ECB can afford to wait six more weeks be- fore delivering new mon- etary stimulus or whether it should surprise financial markets by frontloading new measures,” Carsten Brzeski, chief economist for Germany at bank ING, wrote in a note to investors. The shift in policy comes even though the global economy continues to grow – including in Europe and the US – and unemployment has fallen. The central banks would be moving to preempt the economic impact from risks including slowing trade and investment due to the US- China trade dispute. For the ECB, there’s also Britain’s im- pending departure from the European Union, which is set to happen by 31 Oct. and could result in disruption to trade if it occurs without a negotiated exit agreement. Central banks like the Fed and the ECB had earlier been in the process of with- drawing a decade of mon- etary stimulus deployed in the wake of the Great Reces- sion and financial crisis of 2008-09. The Fed had raised rates and the ECB only in De- cember halted a 2.6 trillion euro (US$2.9 trillion), four- year bond purchase stimulus that pumped newly created money into the economy. With rates already low and those 2.6 trillion newly printed euros still in the fi- nancial system it’s an open question how much addi- tional stimulus would re- sult from the ECB’s moves. Yet consumers, investors, businesses and governments are all likely to be affected by the shift. For one, savers may see an even longer period of paltry interest returns on bank de- posits and other low-risk holdings. On the other hand, stimulus measures tend to buoy stocks and real estate, cheering markets in the short term but raising questions about whether some assets might rise too far and then fall painfully. Low rates also mean less pressure on Europe’s in- debted governments such as Italy. Low rates make it easier for businesses to borrow but raise the prospect that cheap money is keeping alive inefficient “zombie firms” that would other- wise go bust and permit the economy to shift investment to more productive use. Com- panies have taken on more debt, an ominous sign for some economists. The ECB’s minimum tweak Thursday could be adding the word “or lower” to its promise to keep rates unchanged at least through mid-2020. Beyond a possible in- terest rate cut, many ana- lysts think the bank could re-start the bond purchases later this year if things do not start looking up. Brzeski said that waiting until Sep- tember would mean the bank could gather more data and use new quarterly staff pro- jections to support any move. He cautioned that “Draghi’s track record of over- delivering and trying to be ahead of the curve, however, could bring new ECB action at the July ECB meeting. It’s a very close call.” Tony Williams, owner of Tony’s Toys There is speculation that the European Central Bank could initiate a rate cut at its policy meeting on Thursday. – PHOTO: AP 916.0923 info@feedourfuturecayman.org www.feedourfuturecayman.orgNext >