ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY JULY 4, 2018 High of 88 Low of 77 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 IS THE LANDFILL ACCEPTING DERELICT VEHICLES – OR NOT? LOCAL | PAGE 5 ANOTHER WAVE OF BLUE IGUANAS READY FOR RELEASE INTO THE WILD ‘Indigent’ healthcare costs soar BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com The number of people receiving govern- ment assistance for overseas or local med- ical bills has increased by nearly 50 percent between late 2011 and this year, the Legis- lative Assembly’s Finance Committee was told Tuesday. Health Minister Dwayne Seymour revealed that more than 1,600 people were receiving permanent or temporary assistance with their healthcare coverage at either non-Health Ser- vices Authority facilities in Cayman or at over- seas hospitals as of May 2018. In November 2011, that figure was about 1,100 people. The cost of their medical bills at overseas or non-public medical facilities in Cayman was expected to exceed $21 million for the en- tire year, according to Minister Seymour. That figure does not include the estimated $12 million to $24 million already being spent at public hospitals before those individuals are referred to private facilities in Cayman or overseas medical care facilities for treatment. The 1,600 people identified as “indigents” – those without a healthcare plan – did not in- clude Cayman veterans and seamen, who also receive government assistance for healthcare provided at overseas facilities each year. The numbers were presented as Minister Seymour tried to convince finance committee members to support an additional $8 mil- lion in spending on indigent healthcare in the current budget year as costs continue to rise and could put government in danger of not paying hospital bills later in the year if these were not covered. “Delaying or denied medical care for sea- farers and indigents presents a significant li- ability to government,” Mr. Seymour said. “If their condition deteriorates [due to a lack of ENGLAND ENDS SHOOTOUT DROUGHT TO REACH QUARTERS MOSCOW (AP) – In a World Cup of surprises, England provided the latest by finally winning a penalty shootout. A long run of penalty misery on soccer’s biggest stage ended with a 4-3 shootout vic- tory over Colombia on Tuesday, sending England to the quarterfinals for the first time in 12 years. Eric Dier scored the decisive kick after a scrappy game ended in a 1-1 draw, denying Colombia a second consecutive trip to the quarterfinals. “It was a nervous one,” Dier said. “I’ve never really been in a situation like that before.” England will next play Sweden in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Samara. It is the furthest England has progressed in any CUBAN MIGRANTS LAUNCH HUNGER STRIKE AT DETENTION CENTER KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Nine Cubans held in George Town’s Immigration Detention Centre launched a hunger strike Sunday, hastening a re- gional media outreach campaign seeking to reveal what the detainees describe as human rights abuses by the Cayman Is- lands government. In recent weeks, a majority of the cen- ter’s 13 remaining detainees, all of whom have applied for asylum, have allied with the pro-democracy Cuban Nationalist Party to voice complaints and broadcast live on Facebook from inside the detention center. The men appear in photos and videos holding a handmade banner in support of the political group, with messages such as “Down with communism,” “Freedom,” and “Democracy.” PRISONERS HEAD TO IMMIGRATION DETENTION AS PACKED JAILS HIT LIMIT BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com An unspecified number of men being held at Her Majesty’s Prison, Northward will be transferred to the Immigration De- tention Centre, the Ministry of Home Af- fairs announced Tuesday, more than a week after the Cayman Compass revealed the overcrowding situation at local jails had hit the breaking point. Interim Prisons Director Steven Bar- rett said “suitably selected” prisoners from Northward would be taken to the immigra- tion center in Fairbanks, George Town after a thorough risk assessment is done. In addition, Mr. Barrett said some shifting around would be done within Northward, where practical, to ease overcrowding. “We are aware that the current PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » England players celebrate after the round of 16 match between Colombia and England at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the Spartak Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday. England eliminated Colombia 4-3 on penalties after the game ended 1-1. - PHOTO: AP PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY JULY 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • 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) UNCLE DREW (PG13) 2:00 I 4:50 I 7:15 I 10:15 JURASSIC WORLD: THE FALLEN KINGDOM (PG13) 1:00 VIP I 1:20 3D I 4:00 VIP I 4:20 7:00 VIP I 7:20 I 9:50 VIP I 10:00 3D OCEANS 8 (PG13) 1:15 I 7:05 I 9:40 SICARIO 2: DAY OF THE SOLDADO (R) 1:45 I 4:10 I 9:20 UPGRADE (R) 4:40 I 7:30 I 10:10 INCREDIBLES 2 (PG) 12:45 3D I 3:30 I 6:30 3D ON AND OFF PAPER. Wanted person arrested in West Bay Jamaican national “Jason” Hubert Williams, 43, found himself before Cayman Court of law on Tuesday after he was taken into custody by the Cayman Islands Police Service on Sunday, July 1. Mr. Williams was re- manded into custody until Wednesday July 4. Mr. Williams, was taken into custody by the Cayman Island Police Service in the vicinity of Seven Mile Beach. Mr. Williams was wanted for questioning in connection with his authority to remain in the Cayman Islands. Enforcement officers from the Department of Im- migration along with po- lice officers carried out the search throughout the weekend. Immigration officials thanked the public and the RCIPS for their as- sistance in locating the wanted individual. Anyone with information about immigration-related offenses is urged to contact the confidential information hotline at 1-800-Legalim (1-800-534-2546), or email legalim@gov.ky. CAL worker faces deportation from US on drug charge BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Cayman Airways em- ployee who pleaded guilty to one count of illegal drugs ex- portation during a U.S. court hearing in May has been sentenced to time served and three years of super- vised release. Corey James Miller has also been referred to American immigration au- thorities for deportation from the U.S. as a result of his conviction. In the U.S., as in Cayman, the courts may only recom- mend deportation of an in- dividual and it is up to im- migration officials to decide the person’s fate following a criminal conviction. Court documents state Mr. Miller admitted to fed- eral investigators that he and another man, Kelven Claret, agreed to smuggle ganja from Miami to Grand Cayman “on multiple occasions” be- tween January and late April of this year. Mr. Miller and Mr. Claret were arrested at Miami In- ternational Airport on the jetway of a Cayman Airways flight on April 29, after se- curity personnel searched their suitcases and found 2.94 kilograms (about 6.5 pounds) of ganja stuffed in- side boxes of laundry de- tergent in 12 packages, U.S. court records state. Federal investigators said Mr. Miller initially told them he did not know Mr. Claret, but the probe later revealed that Mr. Mill- er’s girlfriend bought air- line tickets for both men to travel on April 29. “Upon review of Clar- et’s phone, law enforce- ment discovered numerous messages with Miller dis- cussing smuggling of mar- ijuana into the Cayman Islands airport,” court re- cords stated. “Specifically, recorded audio messages from Miller, which cap- tured Miller’s voice, cor- roborated that Miller and Claret agreed to work to- gether to smuggle mari- juana into the Cayman Is- lands on multiple occasions between … January 2018 and April 29, 2018.” Mr. Claret’s matter is still before the court. He told U.S. investigators that he was re- cruited by Mr. Miller and paid $2,000 for his assis- tance in the drugs trans- shipment attempt. Trial delayed in ganja case Magistrate expresses dissatisfaction with Crown MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com The trial of three Ja- maican men who have al- ready pleaded guilty to smuggling ganja into the Cayman Islands with in- tent to supply, was de- layed on Tuesday. The men have pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of a firearm and intent to sell MDMA, the drug known as ecstasy. Crown attorney Garcia Kelly said he did not have the necessary paperwork to proceed on the drug charge. Attorney Prathna Bodden, representing one of the defendants, complained it was not fair to her client to keep dragging the case out. The three men were arrested March 2 after the Joint Marine Unit said it observed the men in a boat, throwing packages over- board. The packages were found to contain a large quantity of ganja. When the men were arrested, po- lice reported recovering a .38-caliber handgun, 49 rounds of ammunition and 49.3 grams of ecstasy. Magistrate Valdis Foldats said he was not happy the Crown was not prepared. “Gentleman, this is not your fault,” Mr. Fol- dats said of the delay. “I can’t say anything other than I’m disappointed with the Crown.” Mr. Foldats set a preliminary inquiry date of July 24. Court documents state [Corey James] Miller admitted to federal investigators that he and another man, Kelven Claret, agreed to smuggle ganja from Miami to Grand Cayman “on multiple occasions” between January and late April of this year. PUERTO RICO SENATORS DEAL BLOW IN BUDGET CLASH SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Austerity measures are looming for Puerto Rico after local senators on Tuesday for the second time shot down a measure aimed at overcoming budget differ- ences between the U.S. terri- tory’s government and a fed- eral control board overseeing its finances. The vote was a blow to Gov. Ricardo Rossello, who had hastily convened a spe- cial session to avoid having a court resolve the issue. Eighteen of 22 senators rejected a bill that would have repealed some rights given to workers who have been unjustly dismissed. The board would have granted concessions such as not slashing vacation and sick days or elimi- nating a Christmas bonus if legislators had approved the bill. Among those who voted against the measure was Thomas Rivera Schatz, pres- ident of Puerto Rico’s Senate and a member of the gov- ernor’s party. “If we don’t prevail in court, each one of those who defended Puerto Rico can look into people’s eyes and say, ‘I fought until the end,’” he said. Rivera also accused the board of blackmailing Puerto Rico’s government at a time the island is struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria and trying to restruc- ture a portion of its $70 bil- lion public debt load amid an 11-year recession. Board spokesman Jose Luis Cedeno said there would be no im- mediate comment. Rossello issued a state- ment saying he had hoped for a “responsible and pru- dent consideration” of all measures to be debated during the special ses- sion, which lasted roughly one hour.The islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JULY 4, 2018 WE’RE MOVING WWW.SOLOMONHARRIS.COM Relationships, excellence and dedication are the values that underpin Solomon Harris as one of the leading independent Cayman Islands law firms. Throughout our 20 year history as an award winning, full service Cayman Islands law firm, we have continued to evolve to meet the changing needs of our clients, and we never stand still. And so, we are delighted to announce that we're moving! From January 2019 we will be based at 18 Forum Lane, Camana Bay, which will be better for our clients and will allow us space for growth. From July 2018 we will temporarily move just down the way to 53 Market Street, Camana Bay, while our new Forum Lane office is transformed to better benefit our clients and staff. Continuing our success and our evolution, we have some exciting changes ahead... watch this space! We look forward to sharing more news with you in coming weeks.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (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 findtheirownway” “Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Many issues of public policy are complicated. But many are not. For example: Is the George Town landfill receiving derelict vehicles, as Health Minister Dwayne Seymour insisted last Friday? Or is it not, as previous Department of Environ- mental Health news releases and the personal obser- vations of several lawmakers (and scores of residents) have also attested? “There has been no stoppage in [sending] derelict vehicles into the George Town landfill … particularly where the vehicles pose a traffic or public health concern,” Mr. Seymour said, despite opposition law- makers’ observations of broken-down cars languishing in their districts and complaints from constituents who say they have tried to dispose properly of derelict vehicles only to be turned away by landfill staff. Perhaps Mr. Seymour was splitting hairs – distin- guishing between a “stoppage” and a “curtailment” – and pointing to the 199 derelict cars the landfill has accepted since last October as evidence. The practical question, of course, is this: If a Cayman resident has a derelict vehicle he or she wants to have carted off to the George Town landfill, will it be accepted for disposal? The answer is either yes – or no. Not, er, maybe … In any event, the lack of linguistic clarity around derelict vehicles is just one of several ongoing red-flag issues concerning the DEH. For example, at the same meeting of the Legislative Assembly, Mr. Seymour told lawmakers that in late 2017, the DEH was spending $100,000 per month in overtime for routine garbage collection. That number, we are told, has been reduced to a comparatively meager $25,000 per month which, of course, is positive news. Nevertheless, we understand an Internal Audit Service review is still ongoing. Although the findings have not been made public, Ministry of Health Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn has assured the public that “There are no funds unaccounted for at Department of Environmental Health.” Does Ms. Ahearn’s statement imply that all DEH funds, including (but not limited to) the massive overtime expenditures, were proper and managerially defensible? “We are doing everything in our power to provide reliable, consistent service,” Mr. Seymour said. “No one is more anxious than myself to see this situation improve and normalize.” What exactly is the problem? Officials have at times variously pointed to: unavailability of garbage collection trucks, staff short- ages, employee absenteeism, illness and vacation, personnel management and backlogs created during previous weeks. In May, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson apolo- gized on behalf of the civil service and promised the situation would soon be resolved. Meanwhile, the public is still in the dark about the status of Environ- mental Health Director Roydell Carter, or why he has been on leave since late last year. The lack of clarity in communication in regard to the DEH’s problems is itself becoming a significant issue. Maybe it’s best to begin at the beginning. Who exactly is the chief communicator on behalf of DEH? Is it Minister Seymour? Director Carter (or his substitute)? Chief Officer Ahearn? Deputy Governor Manderson? Premier Alden McLaughlin (the previous Minister for Environmental Health)? Someone at GIS? Anyone? Is the landfill accepting derelict vehicles – or not? WEDNESDAY JULY 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS The potential harm of Screen Time Apple will soon release Screen Time, a program per- mitting parents to remotely monitor and limit the inter- vals children spend on their iPhones and specific apps. Features in the new Android operating system will likely enable similar capabilities but for most children, these are potentially harmful. Pressure for action comes from activist investors ampli- fying unwarranted hysteria about the negative effects of smartphones. Certainly, adults and chil- dren take smartphones into workplaces, classrooms and bedrooms. Social media, games and chatting are an obvious distraction from pro- ductivity, learning and cour- teous attention and culti- vating relationships with those more immediately present. However, just as we teach our children to master other temptations we need to work with them to establish limits and sensible habits for smartphone use. That begins with adults setting a good example – no texting at the dinner table and locking the phone in the glovebox while driving if you cannot avoid suc- cumbing to the temptation to answer incoming mes- sages. But it also requires patient discussions with children about when to si- lence the smartphone or place it in the backpack and requiring children to live with the consequences of failures at self-discipline. Most of us are online continuously when we are not sleeping or performing tasks like meeting with a boss or in court where smartphones may be prohib- ited. Psychologists, through controlled experiments, have concluded the obvious – if those ring, beep or buzz and we are precluded from re- sponding, anxiety and blood pressure rise, concentra- tion lessens and mental acuity diminishes. The same would have likely applied were adults and teenagers prohibited from answering ringing land- lines or opening mail as it arrived, but we did not put quotas on phone calls and letters. Instead, we learned to master those impulses. In the old days, I asked my secretary to screen my calls and mail while I was writing, and now I put my cellphone out of sight or on silent when I am making a presentation or drafting these columns. We need to teach our chil- dren to do the same. If we exercise self-control on their behalf – as helicopter parents too often do – then our chil- dren will not likely develop the executive skills necessary to occasionally refrain from multitasking and balance pri- orities as adults. The day comes that they go off to college and without parents monitoring their every waking moment, they spend too much time gaming or chatting and flunk out of school. Teenagers on their own are leaving Facebook and its questionable opinion shaping influences for more private interactions on Snap- chat and rightly view pa- rental spying through smart- phone apps as an invasion of privacy. And a child whose privacy is not respected will not learn similar consider- ation for others. Psychologists are con- cluding smartphones and computers are making us less smart. Relying on the web for more information re- duces our capacity to mem- orize and often we are con- fused about what we know from memory and what we have seen on the web. And it lessens our ability to perform functions like use a research library, because we rely on Google’s search engine. Such conclusions see the demands of intellectual work as too static and unchanging. Many Victorian-era homes were built to plans kept by a chief carpenter in his head but then blueprints came along. Good builders were freed for other pur- suits – such as putting up more homes simultane- ously and better managing the efficient use of workers and materials. Static psychological ex- periments assess mental effectiveness in terms of technology as it once was – stacks of books in the li- brary, articles on file and spreadsheets – but not in terms of an emerging world where humans will commu- nicate directly with the web through direct brain inter- face enabled by the succes- sors of today’s handheld de- vices. And more immediately, humans will offload even more complex tasks to com- puter apps – for example, revising the plans and esti- mating the cost of another bedroom and bathroom for a home already under construction. The ancient Hebrews and early Christians memo- rized scripture to pass the Bible across generations be- fore the Old Testament and Gospels were finally written down. Once freed from time lost in their youth to memo- rizing, they hardly lost their capacity to argue endlessly about what the texts meant and required. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2018, The Washington Times, LLC. PETER MORICI If we exercise self-control on their behalf – as helicopter parents too often do – then our children will not likely develop the executive skills necessary to occasionally refrain from multitasking and balance priorities as adults.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JULY 4, 2018 Another wave of blue iguanas ready for release into the wild John Gray students’ artwork on display at GT library JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com A selection of around 50 pieces of student artwork cel- ebrating Cayman is currently on display at the George Town Public Library’s his- toric building. The Visual Arts Exhibi- tion is the culmination of a School-Based Assessment examination by 18 pupils from John Gray High School. Both years 10 and 11 arts students are involved in the exhibition, which opened on June 22 and will run until July 6. Jodi Williams-Wisdom, subject leader for the Visual Arts Department at John Gray School, officially opened the display at the George Town Public Library. She thanked all those involved. “We are hoping to ex- pose the students’ work to the wider community and for them to understand we have a thriving Visual Arts com- munity here in the Cayman Islands, it’s also to get stu- dents more involved, so they will have an understanding of what it takes and involves to be a part of the Visual Arts,” Ms. Williams-Wisdom said. Principal Jon Clark was incredibly proud of both the work produced and the tre- mendous work ethic shown by students and staff in art this year. “Students have produced some outstanding pieces with many celebrating Cayman in- fluences,” he said. “This is also a tribute to the dedication of our in- spirational staff who have a real love for their sub- ject and high aspirations for our students.” He said he was grateful to George Town library for hosting this exhibition. SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com The blue iguana popula- tion at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park cleared an important hurdle last week, when a visiting team of vet- erinarians and technicians performed its annual health check. The team, led by Dr. Paul Calle of the Wildlife Conservation Society, pro- nounced the colony healthy and cleared the way for an- other release of blue iguanas into the Salina Reserve. Dr. Calle said Thursday that he has been helping provide veterinary support for the National Trust since 2001, and approximately 80 specimens from the Blue Iguana Recovery Program’s colony of 170 are mature and healthy enough to be re- leased into the wild. Those releases – taken in groups of 10 – will occur this summer and one batch will mark the program’s 1,000th release into the wild. “We are most concerned to make sure the animals are healthy and suitable for re- lease,” Dr. Calle said. “We also examine animals that are not being released because we want to get an idea of the health of the overall popula- tion. We do complete blood counts and blood chemistry testing. We check for fecal parasites and fecal bacteria, and samples are collected to look at the genetic diversity of the iguana population.” Methodically, specimen by specimen, the visiting team of specialists weighed and checked the vitals of every iguana in captivity. St. Matthew’s University al- lows the veterinarians to use its laboratory and clinical teaching facilities. Dr. Calle, who is based at the Bronx Zoo in New York, said that the Wildlife Conser- vation Society participates in more than 500 conservation projects in 50 different coun- tries, and he drew a parallel between the blue iguana and vulnerable species of turtles in Cambodia and Myanmar. “The same type of pro- gram – breeding them, raising them and releasing them – has also been suc- cessful with those species in those other countries,” he said of lessons learned in species conservation. “Estab- lishment of protected areas, enforcement of wildlife laws and regulations and this kind of breeding program where animals can be released back into the wild is why this an- imal is still here today.” There has been no recur- rence of the mysterious he- licobacter outbreak that killed several blue iguanas over the last few years, and the specimens released into the wild will be quarantined for 10 days before bounding into the 646 acres of the Salina Reserve. There, once they are re- leased, the blue iguanas will resume competition with the invasive green iguana for its place on the map. Dr. Calle said the green iguana popu- lation has exploded over the last 20 years right as the blue iguana has been making its own rebound from near ex- tinction. He said it is possible the two species will come into close contact over the coming years and decades. “There are a number of possible impacts the green iguana can have on the blue iguana,” he said. “One is competition for food or for nesting sites. There has been a hybrid on one of the Sister Islands between a green iguana and a rock iguana, so hybridization of the two species would be a threat to the survival of the pure blue iguanas. “And we don’t know where the helicobacter came from; we think it came from a non- native animal and certainly the green iguana would be one of the suspects, but not the only one. So far, we have not identified where the pathogenic helicobacter bacteria is hiding in be- tween the times it affects the blue iguana.” The Blue Iguana Recovery Program plans to release a few mature blue iguanas back into the Botanic Park this week, and Stuart Mailer, environmental programs manager for the National Trust, said the visiting veteri- narians have provided a great service to Cayman. “These guys have been coming here year after year for many years now, doing these annual health checks,” Mr. Mailer said. “You can imagine what this would cost if we were paying commercial rates for qualified veterinarians to be on site for a week at a time. Yet these guys are doing it totally voluntarily and it’s a huge asset to the program.” For Dr. Calle, who started coming here when the spe- cies was on the verge of ex- tinction, it is extremely re- warding to see its healthy reintroduction to the wild. The National Trust esti- mates that there are more than 1,000 healthy iguanas in the wild, and with the program on the verge of its 1,000th successful release, Dr. Calle is optimistic that the blue iguana can remain a success story. “There aren’t a lot of re- ally spectacular conserva- tion success stories, but this is one of them,” he said. “Ev- eryone’s who’s been involved here should be very proud and pleased with the suc- cess of the program. It’s re- ally been an example to a lot of other Caribbean islands that have their own iguana species for what you can do when you properly run and manage this kind of conser- vation program.” Paul Whittaker shows off art done by John Gray students to Craig Brown and Clifton Hunter student Raheem Martin. - PHOTOS: JEWEL LEVY Artwork pieces celebrating Cayman influences are currently on display at the George Town Public Library historic building. Nathaniel Forbes created a Cayman-style zinc house. Nick Ebanks, left, and Joseph Jamieson hold a blue iguana for its veterinary exam. - PHOTO: SPENCER FORDINThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY JULY 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS tournament since the David Beckham era, when a golden generation of players exited the 2002 and 2006 World Cups in the last eight. England is advancing in Russia after defending cham- pion Germany was elimi- nated early and Argentina, Portugal and Spain went home in the round of 16. Harry Kane gave Eng- land the lead with a pen- alty kick in the 57th minute. But as the game entered the third minute of stoppage time, Yerry Mina headed in an equalizer. “To get knocked down at the end like we did at the end, it’s difficult to come back from that,” Dier said. “But we were ready for that. We were calm. We stuck to our plan.” England trailed 3-2 in the penalty shootout after Jordan Henderson’s shot was saved, but Mateus Uribe hit the bar and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford then saved Carlos Bacca’s kick. “I did a whole bunch of re- search,” Pickford said. “Falcao is the only one who didn’t go his way. I don’t care if I’m not the biggest keeper in the world. I have the power and agility.” Pickford succeeded where Peter Shilton, David Seaman and Paul Robinson failed as the 1990, 1998 and 2006 World Cup campaigns ended in shootout losses. On top of that, England was knocked out of the 1996 European Championship semifinals and the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2012 on penalties. The country’s only shootout suc- cess came earlier at Euro ‘96. After exiting the 2014 World Cup without winning a game in the group stage, the squad has been remod- eled with a youthful, more street-wise mentality by Southgate at his first major tournament as coach. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 England players celebrate after winning a penalty shootout against Colombia Tuesday in the Spartak Stadium, in Moscow, Russia, taking them through to the 2018 soccer World Cup quarterfinals. - PHOTO: AP England ends shootout drought to reach quarters They consider them- selves “political prisoners” in Cayman, held in detention for indefinite periods because they reject returning to com- munist Cuba. Five men in the center have been detained for more than two years. Six others have been detained for more than one year. Neither the Depart- ment of Immigration nor the Prison Service replied to requests to clarify the center’s cellphone policy or whether live broadcasts created any security con- cerns for the center, which falls under Prison Ser- vice management and will soon house select prisoners from the overcrowded men’s prison, Northward. “As matters regarding asylum seekers are currently under judicial consideration, and will be heard shortly, the Ministry would like to refrain from discussing such details until the matters be- fore the court have con- cluded,” said a Department of Immigration statement. The Department of Im- migration has declined in- terview requests about the center since December 2017. The Human Rights Com- mission, after becoming aware of the first live broad- cast made on June 18, said the language barrier created a problem for its staff. “As the video is in Spanish the Commission is only aware of the general nature of the complaints. The facility is aware of the contact information for the Human Rights Commission and we have no reports that any detainees have been re- fused access to the Com- mission to file a human rights complaint. “You will be aware that over the years the Com- mission has expressed its concerns on various is- sues related to immigra- tion detainees and will continue to monitor such matters moving forward,” the commission said. Detainees say they are now demanding the Human Rights Commission at- tend the facility to address a myriad of allegations in- cluding excessive detention periods, forced or coerced repatriations to Cuba, poor quality of food and lim- ited access to phone calls, thus restricting contact with families and legal counsel. Detainees say cellphones are considered prohibited contraband, which they sometimes hide from the center’s staff. They have also become concerned that the center’s landlines have been out of operation. “They have not explained why the phones don’t work. We can’t communicate with our families in Cuba or with anyone in [Cayman],” said one man during a Facebook video broadcast Tuesday. Another said: “We want to keep the world informed about our situation, in case something happens to us. We want to hold the Cayman Islands govern- ment responsible for what happens here.” The detainees have begun conducting inter- views with journalists in the United States, Cuba and Latin America to ex- pose their experience in the Cayman Islands. overcrowding situation is not acceptable or sustainable, and the plans to relieve some of the strain on HMP North- ward by using the IDC as an extension of the prison is the most viable short-term option available,” Mr. Bar- rett explained. The Immigration Deten- tion Centre houses migrants whose only offense is to have landed in the Cayman Is- lands illegally. They are usu- ally Cubans and Caymanian authorities have not typically provided the same level of se- curity at the detention center as they do at local prisons because they believe most of the Cuban migrants have no criminal background. The use of the detention center will open 22 spaces for remand or incarcerated prisoners at Northward, officials said. Ministry of Immigration Chief Officer Wes Howell said the detention center would be “retrofitted” to provide better security and would main- tain “strict separation” of mi- grants and prison inmates. “We can relieve the prison overcrowding in the short term, while providing safe and compliant detention fa- cilities for the Department of Immigration detainees,” Mr. Howell said. Some of the Cuban na- tionals now being housed at the detention center did not share government’s opti- mistic view of the situation. “What kind of government keeps people who want to be free as prisoners, and now, as the last straw, they want to put us in danger by put- ting delinquents here. How shameful,” said one migrant detainee who spoke to the Cayman Compass on condi- tion of anonymity. The Compass typically does not use names of mi- grants at the detention center because those indi- viduals fear they will be re- taliated against if they must return to Cuba. Another detainee said: “Now they are going to put us together with common crim- inals, which is them saying that we are prisoners too. But if they try to do that, we are going to form a chain to block them from entering until they find a solution to this.” The government has few options left in terms of where it can place prisoners. As of June 20, the adult male prison population at Northward had reached 221 people. The facility has a maximum capacity of 213. In addition, the main adult women’s prison had 17 inmates – three shy of its maximum. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police jail was tempo- rarily housing 11 Northward inmates, as well as six other people who had been arrested by police during the course of normal operations. The prison inmates and arrested individuals were being kept separate, police said. How- ever, in ideal conditions, the police cells are not supposed to hold more than 12 people. “I want to assure the public that the transfer of inmates to the Immigration Detention Centre and the re- configuration of Her Majes- ty’s Prison, Northward, will in no way impact the de- partment’s statutory obliga- tions or compromise safety,” said Dax Basdeo, chief of- ficer for the Ministry of Home Affairs. Prisoners head to immigration detention as packed jails hit limit CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cuban migrants launch hunger strike at detention center This image circulating on social media shows Cubans detained in Grand Cayman demonstrating their support for an anti-communist political party. “We want to keep the world informed about our situation, in case something happens to us. We want to hold the Cayman Islands government responsible for what happens here.” CUBAN MIGRANT DETAINEE It is the furthest England has progressed in any tournament since the David Beckham era, when a golden generation of players exited the 2002 and 2006 World Cups in the last eight.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JULY 4, 2018 funding for care], the high probability is their family would file a complaint against the government. “Inability to meet finan- cial obligations to the over- seas healthcare providers could affect the relation- ship with these providers,” the minister said. “Patients referred by government could be denied access to critical care.” The latter outcome could affect the entire govern- ment service healthcare coverage plan, not just what is provided to indi- gent Caymanians, Mr. Sey- mour said, if overseas pro- viders become reluctant to do business with the Cayman Islands. Some legislators pro- posed increasing an an- nual tax on private sector insurers under the stan- dard health insurance con- tract to help cover the costs. Right now, people insured under private sector plans pay $10 per individual and $20 per family per month toward indigent health- care – raising about $5 mil- lion per year. However, with costs for coverage now in the re- gion of between $40 million and $45 million per year, those charges do not come close to covering what tax- payers spend on indigent care each year. “This amount of money is just absolutely phenom- enal,” Savannah MLA An- thony Eden said. “We cannot continue this.” “The healthcare compa- nies make $50 million profit on insuring 40,000 working people … and then as soon as someone retires from the private sector, they become government’s problem,” said Bodden Town West MLA Chris Saunders. Minister Seymour noted that more than two-thirds of those indigents receiving permanent healthcare cov- erage from government were over age 60. He said the government had not seriously considered proposals to “nationalize” Cayman’s healthcare cov- erage, but he noted either that option or expanding coverage provided by the Cayman Islands National Insurance Company, which currently insures most gov- ernment workers, might have to be considered. “Every year we continue coming for this [spending item],” he said. “The respon- sible thing for us to do as a House is look at ways to stem this cost.” Civil service plan One option that is not being considered to better fund government-provided healthcare is making gov- ernment workers pay a portion of their own cov- erage premiums. This proposal was raised by the previous Progres- sives administration in 2014 but died after Deputy Gov- ernor Franz Manderson said earlier this year that there was “no support” for such a move. At present, all civil ser- vants, their spouses, un- derage children and civil service retirees receive 100 percent free healthcare cov- erage, as long as they use the public hospital system. Government taxes and fees are used to fund tens of mil- lions of dollars each year in healthcare payments on be- half of civil servants. A review of health- care liabilities completed in late 2017 had looked at how much the government expects to owe for health costs in the next 20 years, as well as how much tax- payers are funding public sector healthcare annually. In 2014, the government estimated its present value healthcare liability for both current and retired civil servants would be $1.18 bil- lion over the next 20 years. By June 2016, those fu- ture liabilities were esti- mated to have increased to $1.4 billion and last year, to nearly $1.7 billion. “Inability to meet financial obligations to the overseas healthcare providers could affect the relationship with these providers …. Patients referred by government could be denied access to critical care.” DWAYNE SEYMOUR, Minister of Health CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Brazilian businessman Eike Batista convicted of corruption SAO PAULO (AP) – A Bra- zilian businessman famous for amassing and then losing a multi-billion-dollar fortune has been convicted of corruption and money laundering and sentenced to 30 years in prison. Eike Batista was found guilty of paying around $16.5 million in bribes to the then-Rio de Janeiro governor to gain an ad- vantage in government contracts. Ex-Gov. Sergio Cabral was also convicted – one of several corruption cases against Cabral, who is already in prison. A federal judge in Rio de Janeiro signed the de- cision on Monday but it did not become widely known until Tuesday. Fernando Martins, a lawyer for Batista, com- plained the case against his client was vague and said that he would appeal, according to Brazilian media. The court said he will not begin serving his sentence while the ap- peal is pending. A lawyer for Cabral also said he would appeal. The case is part an in- vestigation into the laun- dering and hiding of about $100 million in for- eign bank accounts. Pros- ecutors allege that nearly $80 million of that be- longed to Cabral. The probe is one branch of Brazil’s massive Car Wash investigation into the sys- tematic trading of bribes and illegal campaign con- tributions to politicians in exchange for favors for companies. An oil and mining magnate, Eike was once Brazil’s richest man and was listed by Forbes magazine in 2011 as the world’s eighth-richest person. By 2013, his for- tune had crumbled amid debts in his energy sector companies. Drama surrounded Ba- tista’s arrest last year on the corruption charges. Police officers initially went to Batista’s home in Rio de Janeiro to serve the warrant, but he was not there. His lawyer said he was traveling abroad at the time. De- spite his lawyer’s assur- ances that he would turn himself in when his trip was concluded, federal police asked Interpol for help locating Batista and said he was briefly consid- ered a fugitive. Four days after the initial attempt to arrest him, Batista was taken into custody as he walked off a commercial flight from New York. Measles spreads in Brazil after cases from Venezuela SAO PAULO (AP) – A mea- sles outbreak is growing in Brazil after cases were im- ported from neighboring Ven- ezuela where health services have collapsed. More than 460 cases of the disease have been con- firmed in two Brazilian border states, the Health Ministry said Monday. There are also concerns that the outbreak has reached an iso- lated tribe that lives in the Amazon that has little resis- tance to such diseases. The cases in Brazil come after the World Health Orga- nization declared the Amer- icas measles-free in 2016. But outbreaks can still occur even after a country is de- clared free because cases can be imported. That is just what has happened in Brazil, where the disease slipped across the border with people fleeing economic and political collapse in neigh- boring Venezuela. Measles spreads through the air and is highly conta- gious. While there is no spe- cific treatment for the dis- ease, the vaccine is very effective. Symptoms of mea- sles include fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat and a rash that spreads over the body. Last year, measles started spreading in Venezuela, where there have been more than 2,000 cases. Oil-rich Venezuela was once wealthy, and the health system there was a model for the region. But mismanage- ment and a fall in oil prices have led to widespread short- ages of everything from food to medicine. Doctors have fled and health services have collapsed. Hardships in gen- eral in Venezuela have sent more than 1 million people fleeing to neigh- boring countries, some- times bringing dis- ease with them. To combat the outbreak, authorities in Brazil are offering measles vaccina- tions to foreigners regis- tering with the federal po- lice and are also increasing efforts to ensure Brazil- ians are vaccinated. Bra- zilians should be vacci- nated against measles as a matter of routine, but au- thorities have recently held special campaigns in Ror- aima and Amazonas to vac- cinate those who slipped through the system. Beyond the usual con- cerns of containing the ex- tremely contagious disease, Survival International said an outbreak could devas- tate the isolated Yanomami tribe, which lives on both sides of the Brazil-Vene- zuela border, deep in the Amazon. So far, 23 Yano- mami with measles symp- toms have sought medical treatment in Brazil, the in- digenous rights organiza- tion said, and one of those cases has been confirmed. Many more could be sick in Venezuela, where Survival International said it is harder to get information. Former billionaire Eike Batista Syrian government calls on refugees to return home BEIRUT (AP) – The Syrian government on Tuesday called on refugees to return, saying it has successfully cleared large areas of “terrorists.” The rare appeal reflects the government’s growing confidence after more than seven years of war. While of- ficials usually appeal to Syr- ians abroad to return during television appearances and interviews, this is the first formal appeal broadcast on official media. Syrian government forces, with crucial support from Russia and Iran, recently retook large areas near the capital, Damascus, and are waging a new offensive in the south that U.N. officials say has displaced more than 270,000 people. The U.N. Security Council scheduled closed consulta- tions for Thursday on the of- fensive and rapidly deterio- rating humanitarian situation in the southwest at the re- quest of Sweden and Kuwait. The government currently controls over 61 percent of Syria, compared to early 2017, when it held just 17 percent, according to the Britain- based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which closely monitors the conflict. The government refers to all rebels as “terrorists.” Over 5.6 million Syrians have fled the country. The Foreign Ministry says many internally displaced have al- ready returned home, urging refugees to do same. Many Syrians are unable to return because their homes were destroyed in the fighting, or because they fear military conscription or retribution from government forces. Also on Tuesday, a senior U.N. official visited a Pales- tinian refugee camp in Da- mascus that government forces recaptured in May. The Yarmouk camp, a built-up residential area once home to tens of thousands of Palestin- ians and Syrians, was held by Islamic State group and other insurgents for years, and saw heavy fighting. ‘Indigent’ healthcare costs soarThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY JULY 4, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Dublin faces water crisis as Ireland swelters Irish authorities have imposed a ban on watering lawns and gardens in Dublin as the country famous for its rain-soaked green landscape experiences a rare drought. Temperatures reached 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit in June, just short of the highest temperature ever recorded in Ireland. Mexico’s victor pledges to ‘reach understanding’ with Trump Trump has 2 or 3 more candidates to interview for court WASHINGTON (AP) – Presi- dent Donald Trump has in- terviewed four prospective Supreme Court justices and plans to meet with a few more as his White House ag- gressively mobilizes to select a replacement for retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. Eager to build suspense, Trump would not divulge whom he’s talking to in ad- vance of his big announce- ment, set for July 9. But he promised that “they are out- standing people. They are re- ally incredible people in so many different ways, aca- demically and in every other way. I had a very, very inter- esting morning.” Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump met with four people for 45 minutes each Monday and will continue meetings through the rest of the week. She said Tuesday he has “two or three more that he’ll in- terview this week and then make a decision.” The interviews were with federal appeals judges Raymond Kethledge, Amul Thapar, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, said a person with knowledge of the meetings who was not authorized to speak pub- licly about them. The Wash- ington Post first reported the identities of the candidates Trump spoke with. The president spent the weekend at his Bedminster golf club, consulting with advisers, including White House counsel Don McGahn, as he considers his options to fill the vacancy with a justice who has the poten- tial to be part of precedent- shattering court decisions on abortion, healthcare, gay marriage and other issues. McGahn will lead the overall selection and confir- mation process, the White House said Monday, re- peating the role he played in the successful confirma- tion of Justice Neil Gor- such last year. McGahn will be sup- ported by a White House team that includes spokesman Raj Shah, taking a leave from the press of- fice to work full time on “communications, strategy and messaging coordina- tion with Capitol Hill allies.” Justin Clark, director of the Office of Public Liaison, will oversee White House coordi- nation with outside groups. Trump’s push came as the Senate’s top Democrat tried to rally public opposition to any Supreme Court pick who would oppose abor- tion rights. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is- sued a campaign-season call to action for voters to prevent such a nominee by putting “pressure on the Senate,” which confirms judi- cial nominees. With Trump committed to picking from a list of 25 potential nominees that he compiled with guidance from conservatives, Schumer said any of them would be “virtually certain” to favor overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that affirmed women’s right to abortion. They would also be “very likely” to back weakening President Barack Obama’s 2010 law that expanded healthcare coverage to mil- lions of Americans, he said. Schumer said that while Democrats do not control the Senate – Republicans have a 51-49 edge – most senators back abortion rights. In an unusually direct appeal to voters, he said that to block “an ideological nominee,” people should “tell your sen- ators” to oppose anyone from Trump’s list. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told re- porters in Ashland, Ken- tucky, on Monday that “it’s probably going to be close; I think there will be a big, na- tional campaign rage. But in the end, I’m confident we’ll get the judge confirmed.” During his 2016 cam- paign and presidency, Trump has embraced anti-abortion groups and vowed to ap- point federal judges who will favor efforts to roll back abortion rights. But he told reporters on Friday that he would not question poten- tial high-court nominees about their views on abor- tion, saying it was “inappro- priate to discuss.” Without Kennedy, the high court will have four jus- tices picked by Democratic presidents and four picked by Republicans, giving Trump the chance to shift the ideological balance to- ward conservatives for years to come. Trump has said he is focusing on up to seven potential candidates, in- cluding two women, to fill the vacancy being left by Kennedy, a swing vote on the nine-member court. Currently the court has three women justices, all appointed by Democrats. Court watchers have been discussing the prospect of a conservative woman on the bench. MEXICO CITY (AP) – Fresh off a landslide victory, Mexico’s newly elected leftist presi- dent Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador pledged Monday to “reach an understanding” with Donald Trump amid un- certain times for two coun- tries that must seek con- sensus on everything from contentious trade talks to cooperation on security and migration. During a half-hour tele- phone conversation, Trump said the two leaders dis- cussed topics including border security, trade and the North American Free Trade Agreement, adding that “I think the relationship will be a very good one.” In an interview with the Televisa news network, Lopez Obrador did not provide spe- cifics on what an “under- standing” with the Trump administration might look like, except to emphasize the need for mutual respect and cooperation between the two neighbors. “We are conscious of the need to maintain good rela- tions with the United States. We have a border of more than 3,000 kilometers, more than 12 million Mexicans live in the United States. It is our main economic-commercial partner,” he said. “We are not going to fight. We are always going to seek for there to be an agree- ment …. We are going to ex- tend our frank hand to seek a relation of friendship, I re- peat, of cooperation with the United States.” With nearly three-quar- ters of the ballots counted, Lopez Obrador had about 53 percent of the vote – the most for any presidential candidate since 1982, a time when the Institutional Revo- lutionary Party was in its 71- year domination of Mexican politics and ruling party vic- tories were a given. Lopez Obrador, who rode a wave of popular anger over government corruption to be- come the first self-described leftist elected to the Mexican presidency in four decades, has pointedly sought to re- assure his respect for the constitution, private prop- erty and individual rights, vowing there will be no ex- propriations even as he pushes to “eradicate” en- demic corruption. Business leaders who have openly warred with Lopez Obrador for years vowed to work with him and said fighting graft is an area where they see eye-to-eye. Mexico’s main stock index and the peso were both down Monday, but an- alysts at Banco Base attrib- uted the currency’s drop to broader global movement in favor of the U.S. dollar and speculation about U.S. in- terest rates. Investors have long been expecting a vic- tory by Lopez Obrador, who held double-digit leads in polls for months. Prominent intellectual Enrique Krauze, who fa- mously labeled Lopez Ob- rador a “tropical messiah” during his first presidential run in 2006, said via Twitter that he wishes “for his gov- ernment to become an em- blem of ethics for the world.” The next president is un- like most of his predecessors in many ways: Devoutly reli- gious, he is a career activist instead of a lawyer, military officer or businessman, and the first president in a cen- tury to speak in a marked regional accent, from his na- tive Tabasco state in Mexi- co’s tropical lowlands. Lopez Obrador plans to eschew the presidential mansion tucked into Mexico City’s verdant Chapultepec park, preferring to remain at his modest home on the cap- ital’s south side and working from offices in the colonial National Palace downtown. He also plans to tour the country without se- cret service protection, and to dissolve the guard corps that has protected presi- dents since 1926. Voters will expect him to put into concrete action his anti-corruption agenda, reign in rising killings and cartel violence that have stubbornly resisted the ef- forts of his two predeces- sors, and revive a sluggish economy that grew just 2.1 percent last year. Lopez Obrador won thanks to overwhelming anger at the status quo and his success at presenting himself as an agent of change. But he’s been frus- tratingly vague on how he will go about it. Lopez Obrador has been compared to Trump for his populist, nationalist rhet- oric and sometimes touchy personality – as well as his past skepticism about NAFTA. But he now sup- ports reaching an agreement with the United States and Canada, though talks have been stalled over Trump ad- ministration demands for higher U.S. content and a “sunset clause” in the 1994 trade agreement. During a half-hour telephone conversation, Trump said the two leaders discussed topics including border security, trade and the North American Free Trade Agreement, adding that “I think the relationship will be a very good one.” Eager to build suspense, Trump would not divulge whom he’s talking to in advance of his big announcement, set for July 9. Mexico’s president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador acknowledges his supporters as he arrives to Mexico City’s main square, the Zocalo, Sunday. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JULY 4, 2018 Boys, coach in stable health after 10 days lost in Thai cave Former Malaysian leader arrested, to be charged with graft KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was arrested Tuesday by anti- graft investigators and will be charged over his alleged role in the multibillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund, officials said. A government task force probing alleged theft and money laundering at the 1MDB state investment fund said Najib’s arrest was linked to the suspicious transfer of 42 million ringgit (US$10.6 million) into his bank ac- count from SRC Interna- tional, a former 1MDB unit, using multiple interme- diary companies. It said in a brief state- ment that Najib will be brought to court on Wednesday to be charged, but did not give details of the charges against him. Najib’s arrest comes nearly two months after his coalition’s stunning rejection by voters in a May 9 gen- eral election. In a pre-recorded video posted on social media hours after his arrest, Najib apolo- gized to Malaysians but re- mained defiant. “I have done my best, but I realized it is not enough. I admit there are many weak- nesses …. as a normal human being, I am not per- fect but believe me, that the accusations against me and my family are not all true,” he said. “I will face it with perse- verance. Truly, Allah knows.” The new government has reopened investigations into 1MDB that were stifled under Najib’s rule. Najib and his wife, who have been ques- tioned over the SRC issue by the anti-graft agency, have been barred from leaving the country. Police have also seized jewelry and valuables valued at more than 1.1 bil- lion ringgit (US$272 mil- lion) from properties linked to Najib, who has denied any wrongdoing. Najib is expected to face more than 10 counts of com- mitting criminal breach of trust linked to SRC Interna- tional, Malaysia’s Bernama news agency reported. It said Malaysia’s new attorney general, Tommy Thomas, will head the prosecu- tion in the case. “This was the inevitable outcome when Najib lost the election and lost his po- litical immunity,” Bridget Welsh, a political science professor at John Cabot Uni- versity in Rome, said in an email. “It shows the resolve of the new government to address previous abuses of power. It has been done judi- ciously so far and speaks to a needed reckoning for Ma- laysia and a key step toward a cleaner governance.” Najib’s daughter, Nooryana Najwa, praised her father as “kind, loving and gentle” and said he was emo- tionally and mentally strong. “Even in the face of ad- versary today, he smiled, laughed and gave us all a hug … worried more for the family than himself,” she wrote on Instagram. “You can paint a man black but Allah knows. Allah is not sleeping.” A statement by a spokesman for Najib, sent to the media and posted on so- cial media, said his arrest was expected as the new gov- ernment had “delivered the guilty verdict” against him in public. It slammed the charges to be made against Najib as “politically moti- vated and the result of polit- ical vengeance” by new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir, who was pre- mier for 22 years until 2003, was spurred out of retire- ment by the 1MDB saga. Earlier Tuesday, the anti- corruption agency questioned Riza Aziz, Najib’s stepson and a Hollywood film pro- ducer, as it stepped up its probe on 1MDB. Riza was solemn as he arrived at the anti-graft office and did not speak to reporters. U.S. investigators say Ri- za’s company, Red Granite Pictures Inc., used money stolen from 1MDB to finance Hollywood films including the Martin Scorsese-directed “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Red Granite in March agreed to pay the U.S. government $60 million to settle claims that it benefited from the 1MDB scandal. The civil suit against Red Granite was part of an effort to recover some of the $4.5 billion that U.S. prosecutors say was stolen from 1MDB. They say hundreds of mil- lions from 1MDB landed in Najib’s bank accounts. The 1MDB government task force this week said 408 bank accounts involving funds of nearly 1.1 billion ringgit had been frozen. It said the accounts, belonging to 81 people and 55 compa- nies, are thought to have re- ceived funds from 1MDB be- tween 2011 and 2015. MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) – The 12 boys and their soccer coach found in a partially flooded cave in northern Thailand after 10 days are mostly in stable medical condition and have received high-protein liquid food, offi- cials said Tuesday, though it is not known when they will be able to go home. Video released early Tuesday by the Thai navy showed the boys in their soccer uniforms sitting on a dry area inside the cave above the water as a spot- light, apparently from a res- cuer, illuminated their faces. The boys were found late Monday night during a des- perate search that drew in- ternational help and capti- vated the nation. Chiang Rai provincial Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said the health of the boys and coach were checked using a field assessment in which red is critical condition, yellow is serious and green is stable. “We found that most of the boys are in green condi- tion,” he said. “Maybe some of the boys have injuries or light injuries and would be catego- rized as yellow condition. But no one is in red condition.” When the group will be able to leave the cave is not known due to flooding and other factors that could make their extraction dangerous. Experts have said it could be safer to simply supply them where they are for now. Thai- land’s rainy season typically lasts through October. Family members of the missing hugged each other and cheered as they heard they had been found. Aisha Wiboonrungrueng, the mother of 11-year-old Chanin Wiboonrungrueng, smiled and hugged her family as news of their discovery spread. She said she would cook her son a Thai omelet, his favorite food, when he returns home. Rescue divers had spent much of Monday making preparations for a final push to locate the lost soccer players, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach. Flooding trapped them after they entered the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai on June 23. Divers found the group about 300-400 meters (yards) past a section of the cave on higher ground that was thought to be where they might have taken shelter. In the 5-minute navy video, the boys are quiet as they sit on their haunches, legs bent in front of them. “You are very strong,” one of the rescuers says in English. Someone asks what day it is, and the rescuer responds, “Monday. Monday. You have been here – 10 days.” One boy, noticing the camera and hearing unfa- miliar words, says in Thai, “Oh, they want to take a pic- ture; tell him we’re hungry. I haven’t had anything to eat.” Then the boy breaks into simple English, saying, “Eat, eat, eat,” to which an- other voice responds in Thai that he already told that to the rescuer. Narongsak said Tuesday that the missing were given high-protein liquid food, painkillers and antibiotics. He said doctors had advised giving the medicine as a pre- ventative measure. Anmar Mirza, a leading American cave rescue expert, said many challenges remain for the rescuers. He said the primary decision is whether to try to evacuate the boys and their coach or to supply them in place. “Supplying them on site may face challenges de- pending on how difficult the dives are,” Mirza, coordinator of the U.S. National Cave Rescue Commission, said in an email. “Trying to take non-divers through a cave is one of the most dangerous situations possible, even if the dives are relatively easy. That also begets the ques- tion: If the dives are difficult then supply will be difficult, but the risk of trying to dive them out is also exponen- tially greater.” Narongsak said officials had met and agreed on the need to “ensure 100 percent safety for the boys when we bring them out.” “We worked so hard to find them and we will not lose them,” he said. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha thanked the in- ternational experts and res- cuers who helped locate the missing for their “tremen- dous efforts.” “The Royal Thai Govern- ment and the Thai people are grateful for this support and cooperation, and we all wish the team a safe and speedy recovery,” Prayuth’s office said in a statement. The rescuers had been stymied repeatedly by rising water that forced divers to withdraw for safety rea- sons. When water levels fell Sunday, the divers went for- ward with a more methodical approach, deploying a rope line and extra oxygen sup- plies along the way. Teams have also been working to pump water out of the cave and divert ground- water, while other rescuers focused on exploring shafts above ground that might lead into the cave. Several fissures were found and teams have explored some, though none led to the missing group. A rescuer makes his way down muddy steps Monday past water pump hoses at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 soccer team members and their coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand. – PHOTO: AP Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, speaks to media on May 24 as he leaves the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Office in Kuala Lumpur. – PHOTO: APNext >