High of 90 Low of 82 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ECLIPSE TODAY: NO LESS A MIRACLE FOR BEING KNOWN SPORTS | PAGE 14 CAYMAN U-15 BOYS FINISH TOURNAMENT UNDEFEATED ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017 $ $ Fire service faces yet another review BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com About two years after a scathing report questioned the basic operational and manage- ment competencies at the Cayman Islands Fire Service, the department is facing another con- sultant study aimed at “ensuring the overall effectiveness” of local firefighting. The government Ministry of Home Af- fairs has hired accountancy firm Pricewater- houseCoopers “to help develop an appropriate standard of operations for fire services, and to reshape the overall organizational structure,” according to a statement released last week. The cost of the latest fire service review is $65,000, according to ministry officials. The review began in June after PwC was awarded the contract following a public tender process. “Our fire officers often work under dan- gerous conditions and risk their own lives to ensure the safety of others,” Home Affairs Minister Tara Rivers said. “This review gives those brave men and women a voice, We want to know what can be done to help all staff members perform at their best and how we can provide the agency with the support needed going forward in order to achieve this.” The ministry noted several meetings have been held with fire service staff where feed- back has been offered through confidential surveys. One-on-one meetings with fire offi- cers will also be held in the coming weeks as part of the review. Although he has generally received top marks for firefighting efforts during his tenure, Chief Fire Officer David Hails has struggled with some internal department dis- putes. Within recent weeks, internal communi- cations sent to fire service staff members by departing officers have expressed some dis- gruntlement and have alleged that a number of firefighters have chosen to leave the service. Mr. Hails was contacted by the Cayman Compass over concerns that firefighters were leaving, but he has not made any public com- ments regarding the situation. It was the 2015 fire service review, also done by the Ministry of Home Affairs, that eventually led to Mr. Hails’s hiring in early 2016. ‘MANIPULATIVE’ SYED GETS EIGHT-YEAR SENTENCE College president stole people’s money, judge says JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Hassan Syed was a “manipulative and dis- honest” individual who stole from the people of the Cayman Islands, a judge said Friday as he sentenced the former college president to eight years behind bars. Syed defrauded the University College of the Cayman Islands of more than CI$700,000 during his brief tenure at the helm of the in- stitution between 2006 and 2008. He pretended to have a doctorate to gain the president’s job and six-figure annual salary and then used his college credit card to rack up more than US$200,000 in per- sonal expenses, including expensive jew- elry, exotic overseas trips and a car for his girlfriend. SOLAR ECLIPSE MONDAY AFTERNOON The partial solar eclipse will be visible – with proper eye protection – in Cayman from 12:38 p.m. until 3:26 p.m. Monday. Viewers will be able to see the moon block out 55 percent of the sun; the maximum coverage will be at 2:07 p.m. Viewing events with telescopes are being held at the Uni- versity College of the Cayman Islands. Government staff increased in 2016 BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Nearly 6,000 people worked in the Cayman Islands public sector during 2016, ac- cording to figures produced by the government. The 5,961 public service em- ployees counted as of June 2016, as well as the related statutory authorities and government- owned companies, represent about a 3 percent increase in government staff from 2015 From year to year, the total number of public sector em- ployees grew by 152 workers, 132 of them Caymanians. Overall, the public sector employment was about 75 per- cent Caymanian and 25 percent non-Caymanian during both 2015 and 2016. For the first time in a number of years, the growth in the cen- tral civil service outpaced em- ployee growth in the outside authorities and companies, which are managed by indepen- dently appointed boards rather than directly under ministries or portfolios. Central civil service hires went up by 116 employees, Cayman band helps kick off CARIFESTA Cayman’s traditional Swanky Kitchen Band plays to a packed house at a fish fry in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Friday night at the opening of CARIFESTA. The 10-day Caribbean Festival of Arts promotes regional talent. Others from Cayman, including dancers, designers and a culinary team, will be featured throughout the week. For more, see page 2. - PHOTO: VICKI WHEATON PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS I Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) 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. - MONDAY - ANNABELLE CREATION (R) 1:30 VIP I 5:10 I 7:00 VIP I 9:35 VIP I 10:10 EMOJI MOVIE 3D (PG) 12:25 2D I 2:45 2D I 5:05 I 7:25 2D DUNKIRK (PG13) 3:50 I 9:30 DARK TOWER (PG13) 2:45 I 4:30 VIP I 7:50 I 10:15 THE NUT JOB 2 3D (PG) 12:30 2D I 12:45 I 3:00 2D I 5:15 7:30 2D I 9:45 GIRLS TRIP (R) 1:05 I 3:55 I 6:45 I 9:50 SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (PG13) 12:45 I 6:30 CARIFESTA undaunted by weather VICKI WHEATON vwheaton@pinnaclemedialtd.com BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS – American Airlines flight 2393 from Miami was the last plane into Barbados’ Grantley Adams Interna- tional Airport on Thursday night, before operations closed to wait out what was then Tropical Storm Harvey. Members of the Cayman CARIFESTA contingent on- board were relieved to make it to the island after hearing that some of the Ja- maican representatives had flown out that same day, only to have their plane turn back because of the weather system. The storm brought high winds and rain through the night, and although some parts of the island flooded, no extensive damage was reported. The opening day parade scheduled for Friday was postponed until Sunday; however, organizers man- aged to give the green light to the live music showcase on Friday night. Swanky Kitchen Band played to a packed house, fol- lowed by Grupo Madera from Venezuela. On Saturday, Cayman rep- resentatives manned their booths at the Grand Market, with local designers Isy Obi and Jawara Alleyne pro- moting their creations at their fashion booth. Later that night, Bajan bass player Nicholas Brancker and his band took to the stage at the Bay Street Esplanade concert. Al- though there were intermit- tent showers, they did not dissuade the crowd from staying to watch Brancker, followed by Bajan group 2 Mile Hill and then Swanky Kitchen Band. The Cayman culinary team flew in on Saturday night and will be partici- pating in events throughout the coming week, as will the Cayman dance and theater troupes. CARIFESTA, the Carib- bean Festival of Arts, is a 10-day affair, promoting re- gional talent in the arts. This year marks the 13th staging of CARIFESTA since its in- ception in Guyana. CARIFESTA runs through Aug. 27. Harvey weakens to tropical depression MEXICO CITY (AP) – Trop- ical Storm Harvey weak- ened into a depression as it moved through the Carib- bean Sea over the weekend on a projected course that would have it ap- proaching Central America and the Yucatan Peninsula early this week. AccuWeather reported on its website Sunday that the system will retain its iden- tity in the form of showers, thunderstorms and gusty squalls and that “boaters will want to keep track of Harvey’s status as rough seas are likely to be stirred up across the Caribbean.” The U.S. National Hur- ricane Center reported that Harvey was centered about 140 miles (north-northwest of Curacao and was heading west at 22 mph. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. The centers said Harvey could regain its tropical storm status on Sunday night. It said heavy rains were possible over Aruba, Bo- naire and Curacao. Another tropical storm, Kenneth, was far out in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico and moving away from land. The hurricane center said Kenneth was expected to strengthen somewhat during the next 48 hours and could become a hurricane. Cayman designer Isy Obi poses by her fashion booth with record producer Jason Gilbert. Cayman vocalist Karen Edie Turner Devon Edie plays harmonica. Samuel Rose plays fiddle, with Nicholas Johnson on guitar.Members of the Cayman contingent man a booth at the Grand Market on Saturday.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017 “Where you get the best for less!” Hospital Road Plaza 62 Hospital Road 949 5595 10% OFF ALL SCHOOL ITEMS Son of premier welcomed to Cayman legal community SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Every row in Judge Charles Quin’s courtroom was filled Friday, when a boisterous crowd wel- comed the newest member of Cayman’s legal commu- nity. Daegan McLaughlin, the elder son of Premier Alden McLaughlin, was called to the Bar and celebrated by a large group of family and friends. Three former members of the Legislative Assembly – Osbourne Bodden, Wayne Panton and Kurt Tibbetts – were part of the crowd. James Eldridge, a partner at Maples and Calder, in- troduced the younger Mr. McLaughlin to the court. “Admission as an attorney is a huge milestone,” said Mr. Eldridge. “It is invariably the culmination of many years hard work both as a stu- dent and as a trainee lawyer, and today is no exception. It is doubly special, my lord, when as in the case of Mr. McLaughlin, he is joining the family trade.” Mr. Eldridge described the 25-year-old’s academic back- ground, starting with his grad- uation from St. Ignatius school in 2010 and progressing through his days at the Uni- versity of the West of England. Mr. McLaughlin earned a bachelor’s degree in phi- losophy in 2013, and a grad- uate diploma in law the next year. He earned a legal prac- tice course certification from BPP University in Bristol and took on the articles of clerk- ship while working for Ma- ples and Calder in 2016. He is set to embark on a career with that same firm, and Mr. McLaughlin, in his brief speech before the court, lauded his parents for being a constant source of en- couragement and intellec- tual stimulation. “In pursuing this career, my parents have been shining role models the entire way,” he said. “As long as I can re- member, they’ve been willing to share any advice and wisdom they had whenever I asked for it. I cannot say they’ve ever pushed me in any particular direction, but they were quick to remind both my brother and I of the value of education. And without their constant advice and reas- surance, I would never have made it this far. I would add a special mention to my father: After numerous mentions in public speeches, it is finally nice to repay the favor.” Both his parents are attor- neys, and Judge Quin worked with Daegan’s mother Kim McLaughlin at Quin and Hampson earlier in both their careers. The judge lauded Mr. McLaughlin for his eloquence and academic background, and he said that if he took after his mother’s diligence, he would have an excellent career indeed. “If you work with the same care and attention that your mother worked, you won’t make many mistakes,” Judge Quin said. The judge recalled Daegan McLaughlin as a re- spectful child at company Christmas parties. “You and your brother would beam with pleasure in getting a Christmas present early on Christmas Eve,” he said. “I sincerely remember both you and your brother being exceedingly polite and well mannered. And good man- ners are very important, par- ticularly for an attorney, but for everybody.” After the ceremony, Mr. McLaughlin was congrat- ulated by a crowd of well- wishers, and his parents stood nearby, beaming, while posing for photographs to commemorate the occasion. “This is probably the proudest day of my life,” said Kim McLaughlin. “I’m very emotional,” Alden McLaughlin said shortly after the ceremony. “November will be 29 years since I was admitted, and it all came back to me. I could’ve introduced him, but it wouldn’t have been proper. Those who have worked with him are the ones best placed to move his admission.” Daegan McLaughlin, center left, poses with his parents Premier Alden McLaughlin, left, and Kim McLaughlin, and Judge Charles Quin at Daegan McLaughlin’s admission to the Bar. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKEThe 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. Eclipse today: No less a miracle for being known “With a common impulse the multitude rose slowly up and stared into the sky. I followed their eyes, as sure as guns, there was my eclipse beginning! The life went boiling through my veins; I was a new man! The rim of black spread slowly into the sun’s disk, my heart beat higher and higher, and still the assemblage and the priest stared into the sky, motionless. I knew that this gaze would be turned upon me, next. When it was, I was ready. I was in one of the most grand attitudes I ever struck, with my arm stretched up pointing to the sun. It was a noble effect. You could see the shudder sweep the mass like a wave.” – Mark Twain, “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” An estimated 500 million people — including many in Samuel Clemens’s (aka, Mark Twain’s) home state of Missouri — will witness today’s total solar eclipse. Many Cayman residents have joined the throngs traveling to the US to witness this awesome and rare event. Here in Cayman, at 2:07 p.m., the moon will block out a little more than half of the sun — which will hang like a brilliant crescent in the sky. An awe-inspiring event, in itself. Watching an eclipse is a humbling experience — a reminder of how vast and complex our universe really is. Ancient peoples tried to make sense of this unsettling phenomenon by creating myths and legends, many fea- turing supernatural beings or animals “swallowing” the sun (indeed, the sun does seem to have been nibbled on during a partial eclipse). They viewed eclipses as portents of calamity, tragedy, war or disease. Today, of course, we know that eclipses are not caused by magic or disaster, but by the occasional alignment of the earth, moon and sun. (Astronomi- cally speaking, it’s called a “syzygy.”) In fact, it is likely that Mr. Clemens drew on a true story when he wrote the pivotal scene mentioned above. It happened here in the Caribbean, in 1504, when Christopher Columbus managed to wriggle out of some trouble in Jamaica by using his knowledge of an upcoming lunar eclipse. Eclipses are such an orderly occurrence that they can be mathematically predicted across thousands of years. As NASA researchers write on the organiza- tion’s website, solar eclipses are “a re-affirmation that there is a sublime clock-work regularity to the universe as Sir Isaac Newton admired over 300 years ago.” Just as the Yankee of Mr. Clemens’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” was too worried about saving his hide to much marvel at what the heavens were up to, it may be that the entrepreneurs hoping to cash in on eclipse tourists have not thought much about what they are about to witness. Today’s event is certain to give them a greater respect for the beautiful complexity of our world. As Annie Dillard describes it in her essay “Total Eclipse,” “This was the universe about which we have read so much and never before felt: the universe as a clockwork of loose spheres flung at stupefying, unau- thorized speeds.” Eclipses don’t need to be magical to be marvelous. Just think of it: We can predict exactly when the moon (about one-fourth the size of earth) will pass between us and the sun (1.3 million times larger than the earth), creating the appearance of a hole in the sky. Our more primitive ignorance about eclipses has been cured by science, but science has also opened our eyes to mysteries that are far greater, more bizarre and more obscure than anything we could have formerly imagined. So take a moment today to witness the heavens’ spectacular choreography, but remember only to do so indirectly, or while wearing special sunglasses designed for eclipse viewing. Because no matter how smart we are and how much knowledge we acquire as a species, the simple fact is that we are but one part of an infinitely complex and grand existence, and human beings cannot safely stare into the sun. MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Immigration reform will make US more prosperous America’s immigration policy sorely needs modern- ization. By endorsing reforms offered by Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue, President Trump offers Congress an op- portunity to better consider how new arrivals can con- tribute to national prosperity. The United States has about 45 million immigrants and annually welcomes 1.5 million. About one-quarter are illegal and that has hardly changed in recent years – de- clining birth rates abroad and tougher border enforce- ment have slowed the inflow. Canada and Australia face challenges similar to ours – falling birth rates, skill shortages and societies de- fined by waves of immigrants from Europe and Asia – and both place priority on em- ployment needs. In contrast, the United States emphasizes family re- unification. Green cards are granted automatically to spouses, minor children and parents of U.S. citizens. Sub- ject to limits, entry is granted to other relatives of citizens, legal immigrants and refu- gees, and those who can con- tribute to economic growth. Ultimately, about 65 percent of immigrant visas are based on family ties and 15 per- cent on employment. The re- mainder is mostly through a lottery for underrepresented countries. The Cotton-Perdue bill would limit family reuni- fication visas to minor chil- dren and spouses, leave em- ployment quotas unchanged and end the lottery. Potential economic growth is determined by the sum of productivity and labor force growth. Both have fallen, causing many economists to conclude 2 percent growth is inevitable. However, missing from this is a discussion of labor force quality. Innova- tions in robotics, artificial intelligence and other areas indicate broad opportuni- ties to boost productivity, but American businesses face shortages of skilled techni- cians and engineers to fully exploit those. Immigrant workers tend to be concentrated among two groups: those with less than a high school educa- tion and those with more than a four-year college de- gree. Immigrants tend to be older than the native popu- lation and more than half qualify for means-tested en- titlements, creating obvious frictions. Downward pressure on wages of lower-skilled workers is measurable, but overall the impact of immi- gration on growth is posi- tive. Technology-intensive ac- tivities are greatly enhanced by the influx of higher-skilled immigrants, and those bene- fits overwhelm the costs im- posed by lower wages on un- skilled workers. Immigration stresses so- cial cohesion, especially among the working class – new arrivals compete for jobs and often eat different foods, practice different religions, and have different family and community traditions. Folks in small towns and rural counties, riveted by the loss of factories and consolidation in agriculture, increasingly rely on those very things to cope. And they feel alienated by the ethnic diversity and libertine values of larger cities. Those are important reasons they don’t leave for educational and employment opportuni- ties in diverse urban settings. A discomforting reality is that big cities like New York and Los Angeles have schools and social welfare infrastruc- tures more attuned to assimi- lating immigrants from Asia and Latin America than to helping migrants from con- servative communities in northern Wisconsin or West Virginia. Liberals in big cities – especially in the media and universities who shape public perceptions – dismiss middle-American ambiva- lence as ill-informed, xeno- phobic and racist. After all, the urban elite work harmoniously in Man- hattan office buildings, Cali- fornia technology centers and the like where cultural affini- ties that bring together pro- fessional groups tend to over- whelm ethnic differences among highly educated adults. If nothing else, professional schools like mine socialize students to common metrop- olis values and behavior. The Cotton-Perdue pro- posal would likely maintain the current flow of new im- migrant workers but greatly reduce the numbers of older and less-educated depen- dents who strain the social safety net. However, America needs more and better immi- grants – and fewer that create friction with struggling citi- zens already reeling from the forces of globalization and technological change. Perhaps a better ap- proach would be to grant visas to anyone with a col- lege degree or technical skill, who has a solid job offer and will not displace an in- cumbent worker, but still limit, as Messrs. Cotton and Perdue suggest, family reuni- fication visas to minor chil- dren and spouses. That would boost the size and quality of the labor force, accelerate economic growth and ease social tensions. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2017, The Washington Times. PETER MORICI PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017 Home Options BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, Grand Cayman KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 12 Kirkconnell Street, Stake Bay, P.O. 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Motor deductibles from 200 SAVE 10% on car insurance with home insurance FREE Roadside recovery (comprehensive insurance) cgigrp coverwithoutaddedcosts! $250* CERTIFICATE WITH BUILDINGS INSURANCE *Choice of $250 BritCay gift certificate OR Storm Kit applies to new buildings insurance policies only FREE STORM KIT... with new home insurance policies. 5 gallon bucket 100’ rope Lantern/flashlight (rechargeable) AM/FM Radio (rechargeable) First Aid Kit Large tarpaulin 6-in-1Game Set (chess, checkers, backgammon, tick-tac- toe, dice, playing cards) $ Developer and government at odds over ironshore SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Department of Plan- ning and a local developer are at odds over shoreline modifications at the site of a future luxury condominium development in Rum Point. The Department of Planning has issued a stop order, and the developer, Joe Imparato, is seeking clarity and a reso- lution to the impasse. “Maybe I made a mis- take, but I don’t think I did,” Mr. Imparato said on Friday. “If I did, I made a mistake and it wasn’t intentional. We’re responsible developers. We abide by the law. We’ve never had any conflict with the law over anything we’ve done in all our projects. We make mistakes from time to time, and we stop and cor- rect them and don’t do them again. This might be that case, but I don’t think so.” The development, which will be named the Rum Point Club, was approved by the Central Planning Authority in 2015, but the dispute is over recent work along the high tide line. Mr. Imparato em- ployed a surveyor to mark the high tide line and then began excavating ironshore on the beach. The Department of the En- vironment sent an inspector to the site last Tuesday and subsequently notified the De- partment of Planning about the shoreline modifications. The Department of Planning then went to the site and subsequently issued a stop order and enforcement notice to halt the development. Tim Austin, deputy di- rector at the Department of the Environment, said the de- veloper had proper applica- tions for apartment construc- tion but not for modifying the shoreline. “At no point was there any mention that rocks were to be removed from the water or that there would be any shoreline modification,” Mr. Austin said of the previous application. “We were caught by surprise in that regard. But it turns out that the way the work was being con- structed, it was all behind the high water mark, and the high water mark delineates the jurisdiction between the Central Planning Authority and the Crown’s Cabinet. The moment it was determined it was behind the high water mark, it becomes a planning issue, so we notified Planning about it and Planning are in- vestigating it as we speak.” Mr. Imparato, who devel- oped the Caribbean Club on Seven Mile Beach, said he has reached out to Haroon Pandohie, the director of the Planning Department, but has not heard back. Mr. Pandohie replied to an email request for comment from the Cayman Compass, ex- plaining the potential repercus- sions for excavating ironshore without the proper application. “The enforcement notice requires that planning per- mission be obtained for the works or the land restored to its condition before de- velopment took place,” said Mr. Pandohie. “Failure to do so can result in a fine of five thousand dollars upon con- viction, with a further fine of one thousand dollars for each day the offense continues.” The ironshore that was re- moved cannot be restored to its previous condition. Mr. Imparato plans on using the beach rocks as part of the landscaping in his condo- minium project. He said he is unsure what regulation his workers have violated, and he wants an opportunity to sit down with the Planning Depart- ment and come to some sort of understanding on how to move forward. “It’s a tempest in a teapot,” he said. “I’ve reached out to the director and said, ‘Please show me what section of the law I have violated by moving the rocks on the beach to an- other part of the beach. And if I have, I’m sorry and I’ll apply for whatever I have to apply for. But if I am right, you owe me an apology.’ “If I’m operating above the high water mark where there’s no water, how am I modifying the shoreline? It’s not the shoreline at all,” he said. “It’s like if you went in the back yard of your house and you found a stump and you say, ‘Well, I don’t want this stump here. I want to pull it out and I want to make a fireplace of it, but I don’t want it in the middle of my yard.’ That’s the same thing as what we’re doing.” POLICE INVESTIGATE LATEST ATTACK ON A JOGGER IN WB BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A woman jogging along a trail in West Bay’s Barkers area was jumped by an at- tacker just after dawn Friday, the latest in a string of attacks on women that have plagued the district since last year. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service said the woman was attacked from behind by a man wearing a blue shirt to cover his face. The suspect ran away, leaving the woman with what police said were “minor scratches” that did not re- quire hospitalization. The suspect was described as 5 feet, six inches tall, brown- skinned, and possibly in his mid-20s. “[The RCIPS] is asking that persons, especially women, take extra precautions to en- sure their personal safety,” a statement from the po- lice read. There have been a number of attacks on women, mostly joggers or walkers, in the district since last fall. The attacks include an in- decent assault on Feb. 1 on Conch Point Road; a knife at- tack on Jan. 10 in the Bata- bano area; a purse snatching on Powery Road on Jan. 12 following a struggle; and two indecent assaults reported on Oct. 1 and Oct. 15, 2016 – re- portedly committed by the same suspect. West Bay district council member Jeana Ebanks said earlier this year that she learned of other incidents through a local internet chat group “that were unreported” to the police. She said there were at least three other in- cidents during November- December 2016. The more recent attacks in West Bay mirror a series of incidents between mid-2015 and early 2016 in West Bay and in George Town, where a suspect set upon female jog- gers during the early morning hours. At least nine attacks on female joggers were re- ported to police between May 2015 and February 2016. All of those attacks oc- curred either shortly before dawn or just after dawn, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said. The perpetrators were not always described as vi- olent, but typically were ag- gressive, groping and grab- bing the women. “We’ve ne ver had any conflict with the law over anything we’ve done in all our projects. We make mistakes from time to time, and we stop and correct them and don’t do them again.” JOE IMPARATOThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS pushing the total staff to 3,600. Statutory authority and government compa- nies hires went up by about 35, for a total of 2,361 during the year. The outside authori- ties have been under sig- nificant pressure from the elected government to rein in their growth, re- sulting in the adoption of the Public Authori- ties Law earlier this year, giving civil service man- agement more direct con- trol over the activities of those agencies. The staff increases at the outside authorities has been a recurring theme in Cayman, while the central government service has held the line or even re- duced its numbers slightly. In 2001, when the cen- tral government first split its operations into “central government” and outside authorities, divesting the Health Services Authority from the civil service, there were approximately 4,034 total government em- ployees – 3,097 civil ser- vice workers and 937 employees at the lone gov- ernment authority that ex- isted at the time. The central civil ser- vice grew to a peak of about 3,800 employees in 2008 and has declined since then, with some minor fluctuations, to 3,600 in June 2016. By contrast, the number of statutory authority and government company workers grew from 937 in 2001, to 2,194 in 2010 as more authorities and com- panies were added, and then to 2,264 by mid-2012 and to 2,361 last year. While the central civil service grew by about 16 percent over the past 15 years, the separate authorities and com- panies roughly tripled their staff complement from 2001 levels. Syed was also convicted of forging documents and falsely claiming expenses in connection with work to set up the Civil Service College of the Cayman Islands. He fled the island after his crimes began to be uncovered. In 2014 he was extradited from Switzerland and was con- victed at trial here earlier this year of 12 charges of theft and obtaining financial gain by deception. Justice Philip St. John-Ste- vens, during sentencing on Friday over a shaky video link that faded in and out as he spoke, said Syed had betrayed the trust placed in him and damaged the reputation of the Cayman Islands. “The evidence in this case has demonstrated that you are an intelligent, persua- sive, manipulative and dis- honest individual. Your pres- idency at UCCI was obtained by dishonesty and was rid- dled with acts of dishonesty throughout the whole of your tenure,” he said. “You employed a number of deceitful mechanisms to defraud UCCI and the Civil Service College of more than $700,000. Your methods were, in instances, sophisticated, utilizing at times false docu- ments and emails. “The money or monies- worth that you obtained, you stole, was public money. Money that each and every citizen of the Cayman Islands would expect to be used for the benefit of their islands and its people. In effect it was their money. “It should have been used to build the education system of the Cayman Islands.” Syed was convicted of two counts of theft, seven counts of obtaining money transfers by deception, and three counts of obtaining a pecuniary ad- vantage by deception after a trial that concluded in March. Justice St. John-Stevens delivered individual sen- tences, ranging from one to three years for 11 of the charges, ordering that they run concurrently with the principle sentence of eight years for the charge of theft, which relates to the US$200,000 Syed spent on the college credit cards. He was given no reduction in sentence for the time spent incarcerated awaiting extradi- tion from Switzerland. The judge said Syed had fled the island “as the net closed in” and had later con- tested his extradition on spu- rious grounds. He did give a 127-day dis- count in sentence in recogni- tion of the time Syed had spent on bail in the Cayman Islands on an ankle monitor-controlled curfew, awaiting trial. How- ever, he said he used his dis- cretion to limit this reduc- tion because Syed had drawn out the pre-trial process, con- tributing to delays in the case. He also recommended that Syed be deported after serving his jail term. He said, “You have com- promised the good standing of this island here and in the wider international arena in the context of providing ter- tiary education. Your actions fly in the face of a country whose very constitution de- clares it is one that “fosters the highest standards of in- tegrity in the dealings of the public and private sectors.” A confiscation hearing to determine what assets, if any, can be recovered from Syed will be scheduled at a later date. The study, by England’s Chief Fire and Rescue Ad- visor Peter Holland, found major staffing, operational and training problems in the fire service. The report was kept under wraps until a Compass open records re- quest revealed it. The review led to ob- servations that the depart- ment was overstaffed to meet the Cayman communi- ty’s firefighting needs. Mean- while, areas such as building safety inspections and emer- gency medical services were lacking resources. “Improvements and rec- ommendations detailed in this report are unlikely to be implemented success- fully unless there is a sig- nificant improvement in the performance of the man- agement team,” Mr. Holland said at the time. Acting Deputy Governor Gloria McField-Nixon said the civil service supported the PwC review. “As a first responder, it is crucial that the fire ser- vice is structured to meet its mandate, and I commend the ministry for taking this nec- essary step,” she said. ‘Manipulative’ Syed gets eight-year sentence CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Government staff increased in 2016 “The money or monies-worth that you obtained, you stole, was public money. Money that each and every citizen of the Cayman Islands would expect to be used for the benefit of their islands and its people. In effect it was their money.” JUSTICE PHILIP ST. JOHN-STEVENS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “This review gives those brave men and women a voice.” TARA RIVERS, minister of home affairs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Firefighters respond to a blaze at the old Hyatt hotel in July. The fire service is now facing its second consultant’s review in three years. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Fire service faces yet another review UK to set out more detailed Brexit vision The U.K. is preparing to give further details of its ap- proach to Brexit this week when it lays out positions in at least three different areas that it wants to negotiate with the European Union. Prime Minister Theresa May’s government will pub- lish two papers on Monday with more expected in the following days, as Britain and the EU gear up for a fresh round of divorce talks at the end of the month, ac- cording to three people fa- miliar with the plans. Publication of the posi- tions follows accusations by the EU and critics in the U.K. that the government had not presented a clear idea of what it wants from the Brexit talks. Five months since the two-year process of Britain’s withdrawal was formally triggered, the U.K. is trying to inject fresh impetus in order to be able to convince Euro- pean leaders in October that they should start talks on a future trading relationship. The negotiations with the EU have had a “positive and constructive start,” May told Sky News on a visit to Powys in Wales on Thursday. “There’s a lot to be done. As a govern- ment we’re showing the work we’re putting into this.” On Monday, the govern- ment plans to release two documents. One is on how it will treat confidential EU information obtained be- fore Brexit, and the other on how goods placed on supply chains in the EU single market before the U.K.’s de- parture can still be made available afterward, two of the officials said. The EU published papers on the same two issues last month. While neither of these topics is likely to be contro- versial, documents penciled in for the days ahead will be more contentious. The first of these, which could also be published next week, re- lates to civil and commer- cial contracts in force before the U.K.’s exit. A separate paper that could come within days will deal with how the Brexit agreement should be en- forced and what form dis- pute-resolution should take. The U.K. is likely to oppose the EU’s proposal that the European Court of Justice should have the power to rule on breaches of the over- arching agreement and hand down financial penalties to the U.K. for non-compliance. Earlier this week, Britain published its vision for post- Brexit customs arrangements with the EU, seeking to se- cure “the freest and most fric- tionless possible” trade even as it acknowledged busi- nesses might face greater red tape. It also detailed its posi- tion on the border between Northern Ireland and the Re- public of Ireland. The government said it was keen to maintain some- thing akin to membership of the bloc’s customs union for an interim period after the U.K. leaves the EU in March 2019, during which it wants to be allowed to line up trade deals with other countries. While it welcomed the publication of the U.K.’s posi- tions this week, the EU said it was focused on making progress on the issues of “separation,” including Brit- ain’s residual financial ob- ligations to the EU and the protection of the rights of EU citizens living in the U.K., be- fore it would enter into dis- cussion on trade or any tran- sition period. Talks on future EU-U.K. relations – the goal for May’s government – can’t begin until EU leaders decide that “sufficient progress” has been made on the first issues. Earlier this month Mi- chel Barnier told EU dip- lomats that reaching that stage by October was un- likely, according to three people familiar with the matter. Members of the U.K. government now hold the same view, the Guardian re- ported on Thursday. The U.K. is planning to publish documents on its positions in around a dozen areas before the end of Sep- tember, including on secu- rity cooperation, data protec- tion and science. © 2017, Bloomberg British Prime Minister Theresa MayThe islands’ most-trusted news source 7 39 people detained over neo-Nazi march Berlin police say 39 people were detained Saturday in connection with a far-right march commemorating the 30th anniversary of the death of high-ranking Nazi Rudolf Hess. More than 500 neo-Nazis had attempted to march to the site of the former prison where Hess died in 1987. CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017 SMALL BUSINESS CENTRE This is the latest in a series of SME Workshops proudly organised by the Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Ministry of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure. Visit our website at caymanchamber.ky for the schedule of upcoming FREE micro and small business workshops. Thursday, 31 August, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Negotiation Techniques Chamber of Commerce, Unit 4-107, Governors Square FREE SMALL AND MICRO BUSINESS WORKSHOP SME entrepreneurs are not always the best negotiators. They step into the shoes of a business owner for the first time and find — to their surprise — that nearly everything involves negotiation of some kind, and they may not always have those negotiation techniques down. From bringing in good people, to arranging financing or nailing that first big deal, sound negotiating techniques are essential. Our instructor, Michael C. Ferrier, is an International Marketing expert, with over 40 years of experience in marketing management, advertising, and negotiations across the globe. Mr. Ferrier has advised some of the world’s most prestigious marketing and advertising companies, and this month he wants to share his knowledge with you. Some topics covered in this course include: • Common attitude/approach faults • Golden Rules (hints) • Case Histories and Resolutions • Phrases to aid road blocks • Body language to watch - and More! REGISTER ONLINE AT CAYMANCHAMBER.KY Famous psychic’s grave lies in the path of solar eclipse At 1:29 p.m. Central U.S. time Monday, the shadow of the moon will slide over Riverside Cemetery in Hop- kinsville, Kentucky, and for two minutes and 40 sec- onds cover the grave of “The Sleeping Prophet” in twilight. At rest there for seven de- cades: Edgar Cayce, the 20th- century’s most famous psy- chic, who, for more than 50 years, made predictions, medical diagnoses and cos- mological pronouncements while asleep. As for the eclipse, Kevin J. Todeschi, executive di- rector of the Association for Research and Enlighten- ment, said that Cayce sug- gested that “whenever there are severe or horrible calami- ties on the earth, warfare … terrorism, that you would see a corresponding in- crease in the number of sun- spots on the sun, [and] that somehow our thoughts, our deeds, our activities are also reflected in the universe.” On Tuesday, observers re- ported that a fresh crop of sunspots has just appeared on the sun, according to the website EarthSky, and could be visible with a telescope during the partial phases of the eclipse. Cayce, who was born out- side Hopkinsville, parlayed a quirky, backwoods up- bringing, where he claimed to absorb books by sleeping on them, into a large following that continues today, ac- cording to his Association for Research and Enlightenment, in Virginia Beach. A farmer’s son, Cayce gave more than 14,000 doc- umented “readings” during his life, covering topics such as the kingdom of Atlantis, the original course of the Nile River, and thousands of medical diagnoses, and treat- ments, sometimes of patients he hadn’t seen. Marilyn Monroe, Ir- ving Berlin, Harry Houdini, George Gershwin, and Thomas Edison, reportedly sought him out, according to one biographer. He made headlines across the country from the early 1900s through his death in 1945. And this month, his association is sponsoring a special eclipse tour of his gravesite and environs around Hopkinsville. “We’re going to be across the street from the stage where Edgar Cayce spoke under hypnosis for the first time,” said Todeschi. “We’re going to see one of the offices he had,” he said. “We’re going to go to the mu- seum that has some of his memorabilia. We’re going to do some psychic games. Cayce said each and every one of us is psychic.” Todeschi said there are Edgar Cayce centers in 35 countries, and Cayce’s name is still prominent. “He’s called the father of holistic medi- cine,” he said. “He’s the most documented psychic of all time. More then 300 books have been written about him and his work.” There are two Cayce schools – Atlantic Univer- sity, which confers graduate degrees in leadership and transpersonal psychology, and a massage school that has graduated about 2,300 students worldwide, he said. Cayce was making head- lines as early as 1910, when the New York Times pub- lished a story about him with the headline, “Illit- erate Man Becomes a Doctor When Hypnotized.” The next year, the Hop- kinsville Kentuckian carried a report of one of his read- ings, which took place in a Louisville hotel. Some 40 years later, one of Cayce’s biographers, Thomas Sugrue, wrote: “There are hundreds of people throughout the United States who will testify, at the drop of a hat, to the accu- racy of his diagnoses and the efficacy of his suggestions for treatment.” © 2017, The Washington Post Psychic Edgar Cayce is pictured as a young man in this undated photo. - PHOTO: EDGAR CAYCE FOUNDATION VIA THE WASHINGTON POST8 WORLD&REGIONAL MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – Po- lice put up scores of road- blocks across northeast Spain on Sunday in hopes of capturing a fugitive sus- pect from the 12-member Islamic extremist cell that staged two vehicle attacks and plotted much dead- lier carnage using explo- sives favored by Islamic State terrorists. Complicating the man- hunt, though, was the fact that police have so far been unable to officially identify who exactly is at large. While police have iden- tified the 12 members of the cell, three people re- main unaccounted for: two believed killed when the house where the plot was being hatched exploded Wednesday, and a suspected fugitive, Catalan police offi- cial Josep Lluis Trapero told reporters Sunday. Trapero declined to con- firm that Younes Abouyaa- quoub, a 22-year-old Mo- roccan, was the one at large and the suspected driver of the van that plowed down Barcelona’s Las Ram- blas promenade Thursday, killing 13 people and in- juring 120. Another attack hours later killed one person and injured others in seaside town of Cambrils. “We are working in that line,” Trapero said. But he added: “We don’t know where he is.” Another police official did confirm that three vans tied to the investigation were rented with Abouyaa- quoub’s credit card: The one used in the Las Ramblas car- nage, another found in the northeastern town of Ripoll, where all the main attack suspects lived, and a third found in Vic, on the road be- tween the two. Police believe the cell members had planned to fill the vans with explosives and create a massive attack in the Catalan capital. Trapero con- firmed that more than 100 tanks of butane gas were found at the Alcanar house that exploded, as well as in- gredients of the explosive TATP, which was used by the Islamic State group in at- tacks in Paris and Brussels. “Our thesis is that the group had planned one or more attacks with explo- sives in the city of Barce- lona,” he said. That plot was foiled, however, when the house in Alcanar blew up Wednesday night. The investigation is also focusing on a missing imam, Abdelbaki Es Satty, who po- lice think could have died in the Alcanar explosion. Tra- pero confirmed the imam was part of the investiga- tion but said police had no solid evidence that he was re- sponsible for radicalizing the young men in the cell. Es Satty in June abruptly quit working at a mosque in Ripoll and has not been seen since. His former mosque de- nounced the deadly at- tacks and weeping rela- tives marched into a Ripoll square on Saturday, tear- fully denying any knowledge of the radical plans of their sons and brothers. Abouy- aaquoub’s mother said his younger brother Hussein has also disappeared, as has the younger brother of one of five radicals shot dead Friday by police during the Cambrils attack. Everyone so far known in the cell grew up in Ripoll, a town in the Catalan foothills 62 miles north of Barcelona. Spanish police searched nine homes in Ripoll, including Es Satty’s, and set up road- blocks. French police carried out extra border checks on people coming in from Spain. Neighbors, family and the mayor of Ripoll said they were shocked by news of the alleged involvement of the young men, whom all de- scribed as integrated Spanish and Catalan speakers. Halima Hychami, the weeping mother of Mohamed Hychami, an attacker believed to have been killed by police, said he told her he was leaving on vacation and would return in about a week. His younger brother, Omar, left mid-after- noon Thursday and has not been heard from since. “We found out by watching TV, same as all of you. They never talked about the imam. They were normal boys. They took care of me, booked my flight when I went on vacation. They all had jobs. They didn’t steal. Never had a problem with me or anybody else. I can’t under- stand it,” she said. Fatima Abouyaaquoub, sister-in-law of the Hychami brothers and the cousin of Younes Abouyaaquoub, found it all hard to believe. “I’m still waiting for all of it to be a lie. I don’t know if they were brainwashed or they gave them some type of medication or what. I can’t explain it,” she said. Europe’s major tourist attractions targeted Islamic extremists have made a point of targeting Europe’s major tourist at- tractions – especially in rented or hijacked vehicles. But in the last two years, the extremist group has steadily lost ground in its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria. On Sunday, King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and other officials attended a solemn Mass at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia basilica for the victims of the attacks. The archbishop of Bar- celona, Cardinal Joan Josep Omella, said the presence of so many people was a “beau- tiful mosaic” of unity and urged all to work toward a common objective of “peace, respect, fraternal coexis- tence and love.” The 14 people killed spanned generations – from age 3 to 80 – and left behind devastated loved ones. Vancouver police said Sunday that 53-year-old Ca- nadian Ian Moore Wilson was among those killed in Barce- lona and his wife Valerie was wounded. Fiona Wilson, his daughter, described her fa- ther as an adventurous trav- eler and thanked those who helped him and her mother in his final moments. “In the midst of this tragedy, my dad would want those around him to focus on the extraordinary acts of human kindness that our family has experienced over the past several days, and that is exactly what we in- tend to do,” she said. Francisco Lopez Rodri- guez, a 57-year-old Spaniard, was killed with his 3-year-old grand-nephew, Javier Mar- tinez, while walking along the Las Ramblas promenade. His widow Roser is recov- ering in a hospital. “We are a broken family,” niece Raquel Baron Lopez posted on Twitter. Other victims included a grandmother, 74, and her granddaughter, 20, from Por- tugal who were visiting Barcelona to celebrate a birthday; an Italian father who saved his children’s lives but lost his own; an American man who was celebrating his first wedding anniversary. By late Saturday, the Cat- alan emergency service said 53 attack victims were still hospitalized, 13 of them in critical condition. Dignitaries leave after a solemn Mass on Sunday at Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia Basilica for the victims of the terror attacks. – PHOTOS: AP People gather Friday at a memorial tribute of flowers, candles and messages to the victims on Barcelona’s historic Las Ramblas, two days after the vehicle attacks, in Barcelona, Spain. By late Saturday, the Catalan emergency service said 53 attack victims were still hospitalized, 13 of them in critical condition. 100 gas tanks: Terrorists in Spain planned massive attack9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • MONDAY AUGUST 21, 2017 Researchers find lost wreckage of WWII-era USS Indianapolis WASHINGTON (AP) – Civilian researchers say they have lo- cated the wreck of the USS Indianapolis, the World War II heavy cruiser that played a critical role in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima be- fore being struck by Japa- nese torpedoes. The sinking of the Indi- anapolis remains the Na- vy’s single worst loss at sea. The fate of its crew – nearly 900 were killed, many by sharks, and just 316 sur- vived – was one of the Pacific war’s more horrible and fas- cinating tales. The expedition crew of Research Vessel Petrel, which is owned by Microsoft co- founder Paul Allen, says it lo- cated the wreckage of the In- dianapolis on the floor of the North Pacific Ocean, more than 18,000 feet below the surface, the U.S. Navy said in a news release Saturday. “To be able to honor the brave men of the USS In- dianapolis and their fami- lies through the discovery of a ship that played such a significant role in ending World War II is truly hum- bling,” Allen said in the news release. The Indianapolis, with 1,196 sailors and Marines on board, was sailing the Philip- pine Sea between Guam and Leyte Gulf when two torpe- does from a Japanese sub- marine struck just after mid- night on July 30, 1945. It sank in 12 minutes, killing about 300. Survivors were left in the water, most of them with only life jackets. There was no time to send a distress signal, and four days passed before a bomber on routine patrol happened to spot the survi- vors in the water. By the time rescuers arrived, a combina- tion of exposure, dehydration, drowning and constant shark attacks had left only one- fourth of the ship’s original number alive. Over the years numerous books recounted the ship’s disaster and its role in deliv- ering key components of what would become the atomic bomb “Little Boy” to the island of Tinian, the take-off point for the bomber Enola Gay’s mission to Hiroshima in Au- gust 1945. Documentaries and movies, most recently “USS In- dianapolis: Men of Courage” (2016) starring Nicolas Cage, have recounted the crew’s horror-filled days at sea. The Indianapolis sinking also was a plot point in the Steven Spielberg blockbuster “Jaws” (1975), with the fictitious sur- vivor Capt. Quint recounting the terror he felt waiting to be rescued. The Navy news release issued Saturday said a key to finding the Indianapolis came in 2016 when Richard Hulver, a historian with the Naval History and Heritage Command, determined a new search area. Hulver’s research identified a naval landing craft that had recorded a sighting of the Indianapolis the day before it sank. The research team developed a new search area, although it was still 600 square miles of open ocean. The Navy said the 13-person expedition team on the R/V Petrel was sur- veying the Indianapolis site. The team’s work has been compliant with U.S. law re- garding a sunken warship as a military grave not to be dis- turbed, according to the Navy. The wrecked ship remains the property of the Navy and its location is both confiden- tial and restricted, it said. “While our search for the rest of the wreckage will con- tinue, I hope everyone con- nected to this historic ship will feel some measure of closure at this discovery so long in coming,” Allen said in a statement on his website. Allen’s search expedition released pictures of wreckage on the sea floor, including a telltale piece of hull bearing the number 35 – evidence to the 22 still-living survi- vors that the ship they fran- tically escaped in the early hours of July 30, 1945, had fi- nally been found. Zimbabwe first lady gets diplomatic immunity, returns home HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) – Granted diplomatic immu- nity by South Africa, the wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe returned home from Johannesburg on Sunday despite calls that she be prosecuted for allegedly assaulting a young model at a luxury hotel there. Zimbabwean state broad- caster ZBC showed Grace Mugabe greeting govern- ment and military officials at the Harare airport after re- turning on an Air Zimbabwe plane with her husband, who had attended a summit of southern African leaders in Pretoria. The Mugabe couple did not attend a state funeral for a senior ruling party of- ficial later in the day in the Zimbabwean capital; the president usually presides over such events. South Africa’s foreign min- ister, Maite Nkoana-Masha- bane, granted immunity to Grace Mugabe in a govern- ment gazette notice that was published Sunday. Signed on Saturday, the notice recog- nizes “the immunities and privileges of the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Grace Mugabe.” South African police had previously issued a “red alert” at borders to ensure she didn’t leave undetected and had said they were waiting for a government decision on the immunity appeal. The country’s main oppo- sition party, the Democratic Alliance, called for a parlia- mentary inquiry into South Africa’s decision to let the Zimbabwean first lady leave and said on Twitter that the government has “no more le- gitimacy in the arena of in- ternational diplomacy and displays a total disregard for the rule of law.” John Steenhuisen, a senior opposition official, compared the South African handling of the Mugabe case to the gov- ernment’s decision to allow Sudanese President Omar al- Bashir to leave the country in 2015 even though he was wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, the African News Agency reported. Gabriella Engels, a 20-year-old model, said Grace Mugabe attacked her on Aug. 13, whipping her with an extension cord that cut her forehead. In reaction to the news that Mugabe had returned to Zimbabwe, a group rep- resenting Engels said Sunday it would go to court to challenge the South Af- rican government over the immunity issue. “We will take a long-term approach on this,” said Willie Spies, legal representative at AfriForum, an organiza- tion that primarily represents South Africa’s white Afri- kaner minority. “She may be back in Zim- babwe, but it may mean that she will find it very difficult to come back to South Africa in the future,” Spies said. Zimbabwe’s state media have largely remained silent on the scandal over Zimba- bwe’s first lady. The Zimbabwean presi- dent’s outspoken wife has been criticized for a fiery temper and lavish shopping expeditions, but her rising political profile has some asking whether she is ma- neuvering to succeed her husband. She recently said that Zimbabwe’s ruling party should restore a provision in its constitution stating that one of the party’s vice pres- idents should be a woman, and has publicly challenged her 93-year-old husband to name a successor. Also Sunday, one of Zim- babwe’s two vice presidents, Phelekezela Mphoko, pre- sided over the funeral for Shuvai Ben Mahofa, a senior member of Zimbabwe’s ruling party who died a week ago. Grace Mugabe This image from a remotely operated underwater vehicle shows wreckage of the USS Indianapolis, including the ship’s bell, at the bottom of the North Pacific Ocean. - PHOTO: COURTESY OF PAUL G. ALLEN VIA AP The USS Indianapolis - PHOTO: APNext >