ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2019 Dirt bike rider dies following West Bay collision In the fi rst agreement of its kind, the Univer- sity of Glasgow has agreed to invest £20 million in the University of the West Indies over a 20-year period as a way of making reparations for slavery in the Caribbean. The agreement, which was signed last week, is the fi rst occasion where a slavery-enriched British or European institution has apologised for its part in slavery and committed funds to facilitate a reparations programme. In this instance, the two universities have adopted a regional development approach to reparations. The sum of £20 million was paid to slave owners as reparations by the British government when it abolished slavery in 1834. The new agreement was signed at the re- gional headquarters of the UWI in Kingston, Ja- maica, last week by the university’s vice chan- cellor, Sir Hilary Beckles and David Duncan, University of Glasgow’s chief operating offi cer, representing Glasgow’s vice chancellor, Sir Anton Muscatelli. The terms of the agreement call for the University of Glasgow in Scotland to fund re- search to promote development initiatives to be jointly undertaken with the UWI over the next two decades. The funds will establish and provide on- going support for a jointly owned and managed institution to be called the Glasgow-Caribbean Centre for Development Research. The Centre will target and promote solutions to Caribbean development problems in areas such as medi- cine and public health, economics and economic growth, cultural identity and cultural industries, and other 21st century orientations in Caribbean transformation. Negotiations on the agreement began when the University of Glasgow published a report in 2018 revealing that between the 1780s and 1880s, it re- ceived millions of pounds in grants and endow- ments from Scottish and English slave owners that served to enrich and physically expand the nearly 600-year-old university. Beckles said a university cannot be excellent if it is not ethical, and that the agreement places the university on a high moral ground. A 2018 report published by the University of Glasgow recognised the university, while never UK UNIVERSITY’S SLAVERY REPARATIONS AGREEMENT A FIRST A dirt bike rider died in the early hours of Monday morning after he was involved in a collision with an- other vehicle in West Bay on Sunday. Police and other emergency ser- vices were called to the scene on Wa- tercourse Road just after 6pm. According to police, the rider lost control of the bike when travelling northeast on Watercourse Road in the vicinity of Ruby Lane. He fell into the opposite lane and was struck by an oncoming vehicle. Police said he was responsive at the scene, and was transported to hospital for treatment. He succumbed to his injuries just before 2am. A police spokesperson said the bike the man had been riding was not reg- istered and was not insured. The section of Watercourse Road between Hillandale Close and Alexandra Close was closed Monday morning while the Traffi c and Roads Policing Unit conducted investigations. A section of Watercourse Road is closed on Monday morning following a fatal collision on Sunday between a dirt bike and another vehicle. - PHOTO: RCIPS PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Red stakes mark iguana deaths on Little Cayman MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@compassmedia.ky Tanja Laaser says people in Little Cayman were surprised when more than two dozen red stakes marking the spots where rock iguanas had been killed on the roads there appeared in April. “They were very shocked,” Laaser said. “We got so much feedback from the community saying they were not aware it was so many.” And, she points out, it did not even represent a year’s worth of fatalities. Laaser, an intern with the Depart- ment of Environment, began keeping de- tailed counts of indigenous rock iguanas killed on Little Cayman roads in 2018. That year, there were 39. So far this year, she said, there have been 28. At that pace, she expects the 2019 total to be higher than last year. “The road fatalities have increased, PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL®IONAL SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Puerto Rico’s Supreme Court on Monday agreed to rule on a lawsuit that the island’s Senate filed in a bid to oust a veteran poli- tician recently sworn in as the island’s governor. The court gave all par- ties until Tuesday at noon to file all necessary paper- work, noting that no exten- sions will be awarded. The lawsuit seeks a pre- liminary injunction ordering Pedro Pierluisi to cease his functions immediately and also asks that the court de- clare unconstitutional a 2005 law that states a sec- retary of state does not have to be approved by both House and Senate if he has to step in as governor. “We are a people of LAW and ORDER,” Senate Presi- dent Thomas Rivera Schatz wrote in a Facebook post. “There is no circumstance that places someone above the Law.” It is unclear how quickly the Supreme Court might rule or whether it would hold a hearing or simply issue a written opinion. The announcement comes as Puerto Ricans who suc- cessfully ousted the pre- vious governor from office following nearly two weeks of popular protests await yet another twist in what is a deepening constitu- tional crisis. Pierluisi was named secretary of state, the next in line to be governor, in a recess appointment last week. The island’s House of Representatives then con- firmed him to the position in a 26-to-21 vote on Friday, a move he argues makes him the replacement for Gov. Ricardo Rosselló. Pierluisi said in a state- ment that there is no time to lose. “Although it is regret- table that this matter has to be elucidated in our courts, I hope that it will be treated with the greatest urgency and diligence for the good of the people of Puerto Rico,” he said. TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 1:25 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 SUN: 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 KALANK (PG) 3:10 I 9:00 (SAT ONLY) I 9:30 (NO SAT) SUN: 3:10 I 9:20 LITTLE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:25 (SAT ONLY) I 3:50 (NO SAT) 6:50 I 9:45 SUN: 3:50 I 6:50 I 9:35 DUMBO (PG) THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 1:10 VIP I 4:35 I 7:00 VIP I 10:15 HELLBOY (R) 12:35 (SAT ONLY) I 1:00 I 6:10 (SAT ONLY) I 6:45 SHAZAM! (PG13) 1:30 I 3:40 VIP I 7:15 I 9:30 VIP SUN: 3:40 VIP I 4:40 I 6:40 VIP 8:00 I 9:40 VIP KIDS CLUB: • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - TUESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) F&F HOBBS & SHAW (PG13) 12:40 VIP | 1:05 3D | 3:45 VIP | 4:05 | 7:10 3D | 8:00 | 9:20 | 9:50 VIP SPIDER-MAN FAR (PG13) FROM HOME 12:30 3D | 3:45 TOY STORY 4 (G) 2:35 | 5:05 A SCORE TO SETTLE (R) 1:50 | 7:35 | 10:05 STUBER (R) 12:15 | 4:30 | 7:00 | 10:15 THE LION KING (2019) (PG) 12:45 | 3:45 3D | 6:30 | 9:15 3D CLASSICS@ THE CINEMA (PG) CLUE 7:00 VIP Cayman broker, associate plead guilty to conspiracy KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky Cayman Islands-based broker Oliver-Barret Lindsay and California-based co-de- fendant Gannon Giguiere pleaded guilty to conspiracy, related to securities fraud, in US federal court. Lindsay’s plea was filed 1 Aug. and Giguiere’s on 23 July. A sentencing hearing for Lindsay will be held 4 Nov. in the Southern District of Cali- fornia. Giguiere’s hearing will be held on 28 Oct. An April 2018 indict- ment describes a ‘pump- and-dump’ scheme coordi- nated by the men in which stocks of Kelvin Medical Inc. were sold at artificially high prices to investors. “Generally, such schemes effected the artificial in- flation in share price by, among other things, issuing news releases and promo- tional materials regarding the company and its stock – often containing false, mis- leading, or exaggerated in- formation – and by engaging in manipulative trading of the stock to affect its price and generate the appearance of demand for the shares,” the indictment reads. Lindsay and Giguiere are accused of facilitating this fraud by obtaining a signif- icant block of Kelvin Med- ical stock and depositing the stocks in US brokerage firm KVMD, of which Giguiere was an undisclosed control person, and Cayman-based CMGT, of which Lindsay was the principal. It was then hidden that Lindsay and Giguiere con- trolled and held beneficial in- terest in the shares. The two then allegedly drafted corporate disclosures for Kelvin Medical that were circulated on TheMoney- Street.com, a stock promo- tion website controlled by Giguiere. The indictment de- scribed Lindsay contacting securities brokers and con- vincing them to purchase Kelvin Medical stock in ex- change for a fixed fee. Stocks were sold by Gi- guiere and Linsday into the open market at inflated prices, “which the conspira- tors would manipulate by promoting Kelvin Medical and its stock without dis- closing their plan to sell such stock during the time that the promotions were dissemi- nated”, the indictment states. In October 2017, Giguiere bought 1.5 million shares in Kelvin Medical stock that was deposited into a KVMD Domestic Brokerage Account a month later. He obtained an additional 1.5 million shares of Kelvin Medical stock from October to De- cember 2017 that were de- posited into a CMGT account in the name of a nominee controlled by Lindsay, the indictment explains. From 29 Nov. 2017 until 16 Jan. 2018, Giguiere is ac- cused of being involved in the sale of the shares from KVMD for gross proceeds of US$1.67 million. Lindsay is accused of being in- volved in the sale the CMGT shares from 8 Dec. 2017 until 15 March 2018 for gross proceeds of more than US$375,000. The submitted guilty pleas do not mention two additional counts of secu- rities fraud or a separate count of conspiracy listed in the 2018 indictment. The two are accused in a parallel civil complaint filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in which they allegedly or- chestrated a penny stocks scheme between December 2015 and March 2018 that netted more than US$10 mil- lion in illicit proceeds. That case is ongoing. Lindsay’s director reg- istration was suspended by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority on 18 Oct. 2018. A sentencing hearing for Lindsay will be held 4 Nov. in the Southern District of California. Giguiere’s hearing will be held on 28 Oct. PUERTO RICANS AWAIT COURT DECISION ON NEW GOVERNOR JURY NOTICE All Grand Court jurors who are in the 3 July to 1 Oct. 2019 session are ad- vised that the report date of Monday, 12 Aug. has been changed. Potential jurors are now required to return for jury selection on Tuesday, 6 Aug., at 9:45am. Call the Jury Informa- tion line at 244-3899 for the most up-to-date information or email jury@judicial.ky. Cruise referendum verification hits three-quarter mark The Elections Office con- firmed Monday that it has verified 74.8% of signatures in a petition calling for a ref- erendum on the proposed cruise port project. As of Friday, 3 Aug., Elec- tions Office staff had received 3,958 forms from individuals verifying they had signed the petition. If 5,292 signatures are verified, that accounts for 25% of the electorate in the Cayman Islands – enough to prompt a people’s initiated referendum. The Elections Office, which began a door-to- door verification process on 28 June, stated that 1,679 signatures remained to be verified. Last month, Premier Alden McLaughlin announced that the Verdant Isle group had been chosen as the preferred bidder for the $200 million project. The group, which comprises cruise compa- nies Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, and local construction companies McAlpine and Orion Marine, will fund the project through capital from the two cruise lines and a loan from First- Caribbean International Bank. At a press confer- ence to announce the suc- cessful bidder, the pre- mier said no contract would be signed until the signa- ture verification process had been completed. HEAD OF BRAZIL DEFORESTATION MONITOR OUT AMID BOLSONARO IRE RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – The head of Bra- zil’s National Institute for Space Re- search left his position Friday amid crit- icism by President Jair Bolsonaro about the agency’s reports on deforestation in the Amazon. After meeting with the country’s min- ister of science and technology, Ricardo Galvao said his mandate would be ter- minated before the end of his term next year due to an “unsustainable” situation. Science and technology minister Marcos Pontes later confirmed Galvao’s departure on Twitter and thanked him for his dedication. In recent weeks, Bolsonaro has in- tensified criticism of INPE deforestation data which has shown a significant in- crease in illegal logging. INPE says 370 square miles of Am- azon forest were lost in June – an 88% increase from the same month last year. It also says it has used the same methodology to measure deforestation since 2004. Bolsonaro said at a press conference Thursday that he suspected that agency officials had manipulated figures to make his administration look bad, and he threatened to dismiss those who pro- vided data he deemed “doubtful”. Envi- ronment Minister Ricardo Salles called INPE’s figures sensationalist and in- accurate, but did not offer an alterna- tive estimate. Since taking office in January, the ad- ministration of Bolsonaro has consist- ently clashed with environmentalists and others over possibly opening up the Amazon rainforest to development and agribusiness. In a statement Thursday, INPE said it had explained its methodology to gov- ernment officials at a meeting during which Brazil’s environment institute presented its own study that claimed to show “inconsistencies and errors” in INPE’s results. The World Wide Fund for Nature said it supported Galvao and his defence of “the apolitical and public disclosure of deforestation data”. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro Puerto Rico’s new governor Pedro PierluisiThe islands’ most-trusted news source 3 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2019 The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 Opinion & Letters TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@compassmedia.ky, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Compass Media Limited Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@compassmedia.ky Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITOR CATHERINE MACGILLIVRAY A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” Could a buyback programme reduce gun violence in America? LACEY WALLACE Americans own nearly half of the world’s guns, with approximately 120 firearms for every 100 US residents. Gun control policies may someday restrict new gun sales. But what impact can they have when Americans al- ready own millions of guns? Some have pointed to gun buybacks as a potential solu- tion to this problem. I have spent years stud- ying American attitudes to- ward guns and gun poli- cies, including smart guns and open carry. I know that gun owners feel strongly about their identities as gun owners, making it difficult to create a strategy for taking guns off the streets. The sheer number of guns is part of the challenge. The United States has the largest civilian-owned stock of guns in the world. At the end of 2017, the Small Arms Survey reported that there were an estimated 393 million fire- arms in the United States – and that is not even counting guns owned by the police and military. That represents 45.8% of the world’s civilian- owned guns. Yemen has the second- highest rate of gun owner- ship per person in the world, with just 52.8 firearms per 100 residents. More than 40% of US adults live in a household with at least one gun. About half of all civilian-owned guns in the US are owned by just 3% of US adults. These gun owners have an average of 17 guns each. Most other gun owners average about three guns at home. Reducing numbers Gun buyback programmes are designed to reduce the number of firearms by pur- chasing guns from private owners, and typically de- stroying them. Gun buyback programmes are not new. Following a mass shooting in 1996, Australia banned au- tomatic and semi-automatic rifles and shotguns and in- stituted a national gun buy- back programme. In a year, Australia pur- chased about 650,000 fire- arms from private residents, estimated to represent about 20% of the country’s privately owned guns. Research evalu- ating the effects of the buy- back found a 42% decrease in homicide rates and a 57% decrease in suicide rates in the seven years after the leg- islation passed. But some researchers are still uncer- tain whether this decrease was due to the buyback, or whether it was simply part of an existing downward trend. US cities have experi- mented with buybacks on a much smaller scale, even though the Pew Research Center reports that more than 70% of gun owners say they could never imagine themselves not owning some sort of firearm. One of the earliest ex- amples occurred in Balti- more, Maryland. In 1974, Baltimore police paid resi- dents US$50 per firearm, col- lecting roughly 13,500 over a two-month period. Rather than reduce crime, homi- cides and assaults spiked during the buyback. It is un- clear why, but two months is a short time period for a clear pattern to emerge and crime rates in cities across the country were increasing through much of the 1970s. Baltimore is not unique. A 2008 review of the existing research by Matthew Maka- rios and Travis Pratt in the journal Crime & Delinquency found that gun buyback pro- grammes have generally been ineffective in reducing crime in the US. Challenges in- clude the types of guns pur- chased, the involvement of law enforcement, and the costs involved. Types of guns purchased Gun buyback programmes often place no restrictions on the types of guns that can be purchased. Civilians frequently bring in old fire- arms, guns in disrepair, ri- fles, or shotguns. Sacramento, California, implemented a gun buyback programme in 1993. Nearly a quarter of all guns submitted were not in working order. The Boston Police De- partment also attempted a gun buyback programme in 1993 without a restriction for weapon type. Only about half of submitted firearms were handguns. That is sig- nificant because we know from existing crime data that although some mass shooters use more powerful weapons, handguns are the type of firearm most often used in violent crime and in youth violence. If the goal is to reduce crime, getting shotguns or broken firearms off the street will likely have little effect. The Boston Police De- partment tried again in 2006. Learning from their past mistakes, the police of- fered a $200 gift card for each handgun – but no cash or gift card for rifles or shot- guns. At the conclusion of the programme, the Boston Po- lice Department reported that more than 85% of submitted firearms were handguns, closely matching the types of guns used in crime. The number of shootings decreased by 14% in Boston in the year after the buyback and continued to decrease through 2010. Other jurisdictions fol- lowed Boston’s example. In 2015, 13 police departments in Massachusetts insti- tuted a buyback programme with higher amounts paid for types of firearms more frequently used in crime. As a result, they were able to collect more handguns. But three out of five people who sold their guns said they still had one or more guns at home. Law enforcement involvement Typically, gun buyback programmes are run by law enforcement. Understandably, criminal offenders may be hesitant to come to the local police station or interact with law enforcement – even if they are promised exemption from prosecution for weapon possession. Boston attempted to ad- dress this concern in 2006 by designating sites like churches as drop-off loca- tions. Other jurisdictions have held gun buybacks run by nonprofit groups, but law enforcement officials are fre- quently on-hand as security, or to help take the guns to be destroyed after the buyback. No sizeable US impact So far, gun buybacks in the United States have been a community-based, grass- roots endeavour with limited impact. Their feasibility on a state or nationwide scale is unclear. Cost alone may be a pro- hibiting factor. Assuming a $50 per firearm incentive, re- ducing the US gun stock by 1% would cost $196.5 million. Inevitably, only some of the guns purchased would have been used in future crimes. Lacey Wallace is an assistant professor of criminal justice at Pennsylvania State University. This opinion piece first appeared in The Conversation. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Symbiotic relationship between residents and governor The recent news of the passing of Cayman’s first governor caused me to reflect on just how well the interac- tion between governor and inhabitants works in the ter- ritory, in the majority of cases that is. No ruler and subjects arrangement here, but rather an almost symbiotic arrange- ment which works so well on so many different levels. Our 12 years on Grand Cayman coincided with the tenures of Thomas Russell, Peter Lloyd and Alan Scott, each of them immersing themselves in the life and soul of the place, in quite dif- ferent ways, it is true, and in each case placing Cay- manians themselves at the heart of the matter. Memories abound of the many happy interactions which took place in those times. More recently, and with only one short but noted and as yet unexplained aberra- tion, we have seen Helen Kil- patrick and the present in- cumbent, Martyn Roper, continue the fine tradition, rolling up their sleeves and emanating nothing but posi- tive vibes as they go about their business. Long may it continue. Cayman deserves nothing less. With every good wish. Mike Spragg Mourners gather Sunday for a vigil at the scene of a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio. It was the second mass shooting in the US in less than 24 hours. - PHOTO: AP5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2019 Close to Home (345) 945-2014 www.jnmoneyonline.com *Valid for funds sent at agent and branch locations AIRPORT SEEKS BIDDER TO BUILD PASSENGER LOUNGE The Cayman Islands Air- ports Authority is inviting companies with experience operating luxury lounges to design, construct and op- erate a full-service passenger lounge at Owen Roberts In- ternational Airport. The redeveloped airport was officially opened by Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla in March. Fur- ther renovations and devel- opment of the airport, in- cluding an expanded runway and drainage works, are also planned. The CIAA is now seeking proposals for a new pas- senger lounge from profes- sional firms that can demon- strate they already operate at least one lounge, prefer- ably at an airport. The authority is inviting bidders to attend a pre- proposal meeting and site tour of the lounge space at the airport on Thursday, 8 Aug. at 9am. Interested parties are invited to RSVP by Tuesday, 6 Aug. to lounge@caymanairports.com. Inmates get career advice Members of government agencies and local busi- nesses went to prison last week, not for any infractions, but to talk to inmates at Northward about re-entering the workforce. Presentations on career options and gaining qualifi- cations were held at North- ward Prison Chapel on Wednesday, 31 July. Ahead of the presenta- tions, Director of Her Maj- esty’s Prison Service Steven Barrett in an opening ad- dress talked about the impor- tance of stable employment in the transition from prison to the community. “Being employed is known to be a factor in re- ducing re-offending for both men and women, however, there is also evidence that the stability and quality of work are important factors,” Barrett said. “Work, when it is stable, is an enabler in helping to form those special social bonds that support future desist- ance from crime.” Among the other speakers were Alfred McLeod, a cor- rectional counsellor from the Prison Service, and Mi- chael Myles from Inspire Cayman, who both gave de- tails of the range of qualifi- cations inmates had access to as part of the rehabilita- tion programme offered at the prison. These qualifications are recognised worldwide and available to all inmates, regardless of their sen- tence, a press release on the event stated. Katherine Whittaker, head of labour demands at the Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman agency, spoke with the inmates about the types of careers with the highest workforce demand on the island, which, she said, include banking, legal, tech- nology and healthcare. Milly Serpell, founding partner and director at Step- ping Stones Recruitment, talked about the inmates’ work readiness training, which teaches inmates prac- tical skills such as writing a CV, performing well at interviews and general work ethic. Following the presenta- tions, inmates asked panel- lists questions or for advice about their own individual circumstances, and asked what support and guid- ance was available for them to start their own busi- ness or how they can patent an invention. Director of Prisons Steven Barrett addresses inmates at Northward Prison Chapel last week. The Cayman Islands Airports Authority is inviting proposals for the construction and operation of a new passenger lounge at Owen Roberts International Airport. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKEThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community CALENDAR ■ COMMUNITY CALENDAR is published TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS. It is available to charitable or non-profit organisations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Road or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS WEDNESDAY, 7 AUG. STROKE AND STRIDE: The first of a three-part series of fundraiser races to support young triathletes and community charities will be held today for swimmers and runners. The swim distance increases each week while the run stays the same at 2 miles. Participate in 1, 2 or 3 of the races – individually or as a team. Race 1 is held today and consists of a 400-metre swim and a 2-mile run; Race 2 is on 14 Aug., a 600- metre swim and 2-mile run; and Race 3 is on 21 Aug., an 800-metre swim and 2-mile run. All races begin at 5:45pm at Sunset House. Entry fees are: Individuals, $15 per race/$35 for all 3; Teams, $25 per race/$60 all 3. Triathlon Association Membership required and is available for $15 at registration. YOUNG MEN AT RISK: The Community Affairs Ministry and the Alex Panton Foundation host a presentation on Young Men at Risk from 6:30-8pm at the South Sound Civic Centre. THURSDAY, 8 AUG. TECH TALK: Join Digital Cayman and Cayman Tech City at South West Collective for a round table discussion about building a tech community. Admission is free. Doors open at 6:00pm, and the discussion starts at 6:30pm. SATURDAY, 10 AUG. MOVIE NIGHT: The Stake Bay Baptist Church in Cayman Brac presents a Free Family Movie Night featuring the film ‘Breakthrough’ at 6:30pm at the Aston Rutty Centre. SUNDAY, 11 AUG. ENVIROWALK: The rescheduled EnviroWalk Environmental 5K Walk/ Run, sponsored by Miss World Cayman Islands, F45 and Flowers Bottled Water, will be held at 7am at SafeHaven. The previous planned event was postponed due to the weather. All are invited. Bring your water bottle, hats, sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes. The entry fee is $25 for adults and $12 for those 12 and under. TUESDAY, 13 AUG. ROTARY MEET AND GREET: Rotary Club of Cayman Brac presents a Meet and Greet Social at Cayman Brac Beach Resort, 7-9pm. THURSDAY, 15 AUG. HUMANE SOCIETY QUIZ: The monthly trivia fundraiser for the Cayman Islands Humane Society will be held at Fidel Murphy’s tonight, beginning at 7pm. Ann Ghezzi will be hosting. $10 per person. Call 949-5189 to book a table. LITTLE CAYMAN LICENSING: The Little Cayman Vehicle Licensing visit occurs today, 9am to 2:30pm in the District Office. SATURDAY, 17 AUG. CHARITY TRUNK SALE: All registration fees will go to benefit the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. The sale will be held at the parking lot of the CIBC FirstCaribbean Main Street branch. 6-10am. Sellers should arrive by 5:30am and be set up no later than 6am. Vendor entry fee is $25. The deadline to register a space is 2pm, Friday, 16 Aug. Call 815-2405 or 815-2407 or email shadden. mclaughlin@cibcfcib.com or joy.anglin@cibcfcib.com to reserve a space. SUMMER FAMILY FUN DAY: The National Gallery is hosting a Summer Fun Family Day today from 10am to 1pm. Free family fun art activities based on the exhibition ‘Tropical Visions’. Art activities will be available for children of all ages and self-guided activity booklets can be collected at reception for families to use as they explore. Admission is free and open to all ages. FRIDAY, 23 AUG SENIORS TOUR AND TEA PARTY: The National Gallery and EY welcome seniors for a morning of art and conversation. Beginning with a tour of the exhibition ‘Tropical Visions: Landscape Painting from the National Collection’ with a chance to share stories and memories inspired by the artwork. This will be followed by tea service with refreshments and pastries in the Gallery gardens. Admission is free thanks to sponsorship by EY Cayman. RSVP by calling 945-8111 or emailing receptionvolunteer@ nationalgallery.org.ky by 19 Aug. Transportation assistance can be arranged if requested. SATURDAY, 24 AUG. FISH FRY/FISHING TOURNAMENT: The Spot Bay Committee presents the Last Fish Fry and Fishing Tournament for summer today at Cayman Brac. Call 925-3924 for more information. GENERAL INTEREST YMCA SUMMER CAMPS: Camps will take place from 2 July to 23 Aug. across three locations – Field of Dreams, Camana Bay Sports Complex and the Youth Centre at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church in Savannah. For more information, visit www.ymcacayman.ky. On-site registration is open weekdays from 9am to 5pm at the Field of Dreams. The Day Camp team can also be reached at ysummercamp@ ymcacayman.ky. To find out about financial assistance, which is available for families in need, email info@ymcacayman.ky. COUNSELLING SERVICES: The Family Resource Centre and the Counselling Centre have moved. They are now with the Department of Counselling Services at their new home on Mary Street, at 87 West Apollo House. Hours are Mondays and Fridays from 9am to 1pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am to 7pm, and Wednesdays 9am to 4pm. SQUASH CLUB: The Cayman Islands Squash Club hosts a social evening for women on the last Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm, and holds squash beginner lessons for adults every Monday at 7pm. For more information, email info@squash.ky. PIRATES WEEK VENDORS: Food and craft vendors interested in participating in the upcoming Pirates Week Festival can reserve stalls. Food Festival dates are 8, 9 and 11 Nov. A valid DEH Food Handling Certificate must accompany completed application forms. All food vendors must use biodegradable containers and utensils (available from Pirates Week Festival office – limited supply). Space is limited, please register early. Download the application form at www.piratesweekfestival.com/ participate. To learn more call 949-5078 or info@ piratesweekfestival.com. LOCAL HARVEST MARKET: Local farmers sell their produce and farmed goods at Camana Bay on Wednesdays from 10am to 3pm in Heliconia Court (located next to Scotiabank). COMMUNITY CHESS: Tuesdays 5-8pm, West Indies Wine Company. Join the Cayman Chess Club for a complimentary chess class and open challenges weekly. Anyone can learn to play and enjoy chess, even beginners. ART OPEN CANVAS: At KARoo Restaurant in Camana Bay, Wednesdays 7-11pm. Artists of all levels are welcome to come and enjoy painting and socialising with other artists. Includes use of easels, lights, space and a beverage ticket. No fee. For more information, contact info@visualartcayman.com or jar.was@gmail.com. VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Adult Open Studio available to those who want to work independently in an inspiring atmosphere. Wednesdays for adults, 9am till noon. Thursdays Adults and Youth, 10am till noon. Watler House Art Studio, Pedro St. James. Fee is $5/$15 pp for ceramics. $15/$25 pp non-members. Includes use of studio, glazes and ceramic tools. Clay available $30 per bag/fee for kiln usage. To register, call 546-9422 or email info@visualartcayman.com. ART AT THE STRAND: Every Saturday, from 3pm to sunset, the Visual Arts Society hosts a local art market featuring artists displaying arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand- crafted jewellery and ceramics for sale in front of the Lodge/Eco-Den, who is offering 2-4-1 drinks, pub food and homemade treats, smoothies, and speciality coffees/teas. For more information or to become a displaying artist, email info@visualartcayman.com. SEAFARERS HALL: The Cayman Islands Seafarers Association wishes to inform the community that the hall is now available for rent every day of the week, including Saturdays. THRIFT SHOP: Cayman Islands Humane Society Thrift Shop. Located in Venetia Plaza, next to China Village. The Thrift shop is open Tuesday – Saturday 9am to 2pm. Closed on Sunday and Monday. The phone number is 945-5596 THRIFT SHOP: One Dog at a Time’s New To U shop is now located at JJT Warehouses, Row 2, Unit 2 on Industrial Way. Open Saturdays 8am to 5pm and Wednesdays 10am to 2pm. Variety of items available, including men’s, women’s, children’s and baby clothes, shoes, household, electrical items, CDs, DVDs, books, home furnishings, toys, baby cribs, car seats, dog beds and more. BETHESDA COUNSELLING CENTRE: Caters to all who seek help. Open Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm at 68 Mary Street. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Call 946-6575. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4pm; Tues-Fri 9:30am to 4pm; Sat 9:30am to 4:30pm. Volunteers are needed for front desk a few hours per week. For more information, email humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or call 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, cards, etc., in good condition needed. CLUBS, ORGANISATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Meets daily to help with drinking problems. Call 926-9044 or visit www.caymanaa.org. NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS: Is available for substance abuse help. Call the info line at 929–NANA (6262). AL-ANON GROUP MEETING: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? Al-Anon Family Groups can help. Call 928-8843 or email caymanalanon@gmail.com for meeting times. OVERCOMERS OUTREACH: A Christ-centred 12-step recovery group addresses addictions and those affected by them. Meetings at Cayman Islands Baptist Church, Pedro Castle Road, Tuesdays, 7:15pm. Contact Vanessa Gilman at 946-2422, or visit www.overcomersoutreach.org. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at ADACI’s office, 4th floor, Cardinall Plaza, 30 Cardinall Ave., George Town. Call 924-4170 or email info@adacayman.com. THE LIONS CLUB OF GRAND CAYMAN: Meets every first and third Thursday 7:30pm at the Lions Community Centre. Email lionsclubgcm@hotmail.com. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS: Club meets each Thursday 6-7:15pm on 3rd Floor, George Town Public Library. Visitors and guests welcome. Contact George R. Ebanks at 322-9369 or Grand Cayman Toastmasters club on Facebook. Email info@ toastmastersclub2686.org. EMINENT ORATORS TOASTMASTERS: Want to be a better speaker or leader? Join a Toastmasters Club. The Eminent Orators Toastmasters Club meets every second and fourth Monday at Cayman Academy Canteen, Walkers Road, 6-7:30pm. Contact Sashoy Duncan at 939-8847 or email eminentoratorstoastmasters @gmail.com. Visitors and guests welcome. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.caymancompass.com/events. Swimmers get ready for an earlier Stroke and Stride. This year’s three-day event begins on Wednesday, 7 Aug.7 REGIONAL NEWS “The United States will not remain party to a treaty that is deliberately violated by Russia,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an- nouncing the formal with- drawal, calling a Russian missile system prohibited under the agreement a “direct threat to the United States and our allies”. The end of the INF, which comes as world powers seek to contain the nuclear threat from Iran and North Korea, is another milestone in the deterioration of relations be- tween the US and Russia. “The denunciation of the INF treaty confirms that the US has embarked on de- stroying all international agreements that do not suit them for one reason or an- other,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “This leads to the actual dis- mantling of the existing arms control system.” A senior administration official downplayed the up- coming US weapons test, saying it was not meant to be a provocation. The offi- cial, who was not authorised to publicly discuss the test flight, said the US is “years away” from effectively de- ploying weapons previously banned under the agreement. But the US might even- tually want to base such weapons in Europe as a counterbalance to Russia, or in Asia to counter China. The central issue with the INF was that both Russia and the US had long accused the other of cheating on the treaty, which banned land- based missiles of ranges be- tween 300 and 3,400 miles. The US said the non- compliant missile systems the Russians fielded gave Moscow an advantage over NATO forces in Europe. The Obama adminis- tration in 2014 first pub- licly accused Moscow of vi- olating the INF by testing a treaty-busting cruise mis- sile, and the Trump admin- istration pressed the accu- sation. Russia denies it has cheated, and counters with a contention that America’s armed drones and missile de- fence system in Europe are violations. US military officials have said 95% of China’s ballistic and cruise missiles would have violated the treaty. “Since the strategic envi- ronment has changed rap- idly since the end of the Cold War, we need to find ways to use arms control to address the rise of China’s nuclear ar- senal, the increase of Russia’s non-strategic weapons stock- piles, and the emergence of new technologies like hyper- sonic weapons,” said Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2019 Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, seated left, vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies, and David Duncan, chief operating officer of the University of Glasgow sign the memorandum of understanding at the UWI regional headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, on 31 July to partner in a reparations strategy, witnessed by, from left, C. William Iton, UWI university registrar, Laleta Davis-Mattis, UWI university counsel, and Peter Aitchison, director of communications and public affairs, University of Glasgow. owning slaves, had benefitted from those who did. As a result, the re- port said, “The strengths of our uni- versity as a centre of justice and enlightenment will be utilised to en- hance awareness and understanding of our history, while moving forward in new directions to benefit the Uni- versity community through an ever more diverse staff and student body, through creative relationships with new partners such as the Univer- sity of the West Indies, and through study and teaching about all forms of slavery and trafficking in the past and present.” The £20 million will be in- vested in policy research in sci- ence, technology, society and economy, and education and advo- cacy that seek to repair the conse- quences of slavery and colonisa- tion. The Centre will be formally established on the two campuses in September. probably, over the years,” Laaser said. She suspects the totals she’s getting do not tell the whole story. She relies on people reporting the road kills. But she does not think every iguana hit by a car is left in the road where it can be seen. “Including the ones thrown into the bush,” she said, “it would probably double [the numbers].” The Sister Islands rock iguana is a protected spe- cies found only on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. It is a subspecies of the Cuban rock iguana. A 2014 survey estimated there were between 2,700 and 4,200 of the iguanas on Little Cayman. “If we do not protect them here,” Laaser said, “they could be gone. The ecosystem would collapse if they were to disappear. It’s very important that we preserve them.” She said speeding, care- lessness, impatience and misunderstanding are the primary reasons the iguanas get hit on the roads. “Speeding is a problem here,” she said. Sometimes avoiding an iguana may not just require slowing down, but actually having to stop to allow the slow moving lizards time to waddle away. “They lay and sunbask in the road,” Laaser said. “Sometimes people don’t have the patience for them to move. I think everyone can take that minute. What is one minute of your time to save a life?” In Grand Cayman, where invasive green iguanas have overpopulated the is- land, a dead iguana in the road is seen by some as a good thing. In fact, a DoE programme has promoted the culling of iguanas over the past year. More than 800,000 of the animals have been killed and turned in at the island’s landfill. There are green iguanas in Little Cayman as well. But so far, Laaser said, their numbers are small. Any iguana seen on the roads there is almost cer- tain to be a rock iguana. While there may be a few people who are uncon- cerned about the iguanas, Laaser said most of the community is behind pro- tecting the animals. “We work very closely with the community and the National Trust,” she said. “We rely on the com- munity. The community cares about the iguanas. Sometimes I get them [calling] in tears, telling me they found another dead iguana.” She’s hoping the markers will help reduce those calls. Laaser said since DoE conservation officer Mike Guderian took the initia- tive to put up the markers in April, no more have gone up. “We’re trying to get more stakes,” she said, in order to keep a run- ning record, all the while hoping she won’t have to pound too many more into the ground. To report on iguanas in Little Cayman, call the DoE hotline on 925-7625. UK University’s slavery reparations agreement a first Red stakes mark iguana deaths on Little Cayman CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 US to test new missile as arms treaty with Russia ends WASHINGTON (AP) – With the scrapping of a land- mark arms control agreement Friday, the US announced plans to test a new mis- sile amid growing concerns about emerging threats and new weapons. US officials said they are no longer hamstrung and could now develop weapons systems previously banned under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia, a Cold War-era agreement that both sides repeatedly accused the other of violating. The treaty was also criticised be- cause it did not cover China or missile technology that did not exist a generation ago. The end of the treaty comes amid rising doubts about whether the two coun- tries will extend an agree- ment on long-range nuclear weapons scheduled to expire in 2021. President Donald Trump said he has been dis- cussing a new agreement to reduce nuclear weapons with China and Russia. “And I will tell you China was very, very excited about talking about it and so was Russia,” Trump told re- porters. “So I think we’ll have a deal at some point.” The Trump administra- tion, which gave its six-month notice on 2 Feb. of its pending withdrawal from the INF, had repeatedly said Russia was violating its provisions, an accusation President Barack Obama made as well. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday the formal withdrawal from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty, calling a new Russian missile system a ‘direct threat to the United States and our allies’. – PHOTO: AP R. KELLY FACES 2 NEW CHARGES IN MINNESOTA MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Min- nesota authorities charged singer R. Kelly on Monday with two counts of prostitu- tion and solicitation involving a girl under 18 in 2001. Hennepin County At- torney Mike Freeman said Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is accused of soliciting the girl after meeting her at a concert in Minneapolis. Kelly was not performing at the time, but was doing promotional work. Freeman said the girl was trying to get an auto- graph from Kelly, and that the R&B performer gave her his signature and a phone number. When the girl called the number, she was in- vited to Kelly’s hotel. There she was offered $200 to take off her clothes and dance, Freeman said. He said Kelly took his clothes off and they danced together. The charges are felonies. Freeman said his office in- vestigated after getting a tip from a Chicago tip line. “We felt we had more than enough to charge based on her testimony and corrob- oration from her brother,” Freeman said. “I don’t like buying sex from minors, and I don’t think most other people do either.” Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg tweeted: “Give me a break. This is be- yond absurd.” A criminal com- plaint was not immedi- ately available. The charges are the latest legal problem for Kelly, who remains jailed in New York after pleading not guilty last week in fed- eral court to charges that he sexually abused women and girls who attended his con- certs there. He is accused of using his fame to recruit young women and girls into illegal sexual activity. Kelly, 52, is also charged separately in Chicago with engaging in child pornography.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Putin slams US nuclear treaty withdrawal Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday his country will not deploy short- or medium-range nuclear weapons unless in response to US deployments. His comments came in response to Washington’s withdrawal Friday from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. As death count rises in 2 US shootings, a familiar aftermath US, South Korea prepare military drills despite North’s ire SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea and the United States are preparing to hold their annual joint military exercises despite warnings from North Korea that the drills could derail fragile nu- clear diplomacy, Seoul’s mili- tary said Monday. Choi Hyun-soo, spokes- woman of Seoul’s Defense Ministry, said the exercises will be focussed on veri- fying Seoul’s capabilities for its planned retaking of war- time operational control of its troops from Washington. She did not confirm or deny reports that the drills, which are expected to be computer simulated and not involve actual combat troops and equipment, began on Monday. North Korea recently has been ramping up its weapons tests, including two test fir- ings of what it described as a new rocket artillery system last week, while expressing frustration over the contin- uance of US-South Korea drills it sees as an invasion rehearsal and also the slow pace of nuclear negotiations with the United States. North Korea had said it will wait to see if the Au- gust exercises actually take place to decide on the fate of its diplomacy with the United States and also whether to continue its uni- lateral suspension of nu- clear and long-range mis- sile tests, which leader Kim Jong Un announced last year amid a diplomatic outreach to Washington. The allies have scaled down their major mili- tary exercises and also stopped regional dispatches of US strategic assets such as long-range bombers and aircraft carriers since the first summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in Singapore in June last year to create space for diplomacy. The North insists even the downsized drills violate agreements between Kim and Trump, who in Singa- pore vowed to improve bilat- eral ties and issued a vague statement on a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. Nuclear negotiations have been on a standstill since the collapse of the second Trump- Kim summit in Vietnam in February over disagreements in exchanging sanctions re- lief and disarmament. The North’s recent weapons tests, which also included a short-range bal- listic missile test on 25 July it described as a “solemn warning” to South Korea over its planned military drills with the United States, have dampened the optimism that followed the third summit between Trump and Kim on June 30 at the inter-Korean border. The leaders agreed to resume working-level nuclear talks that stalled since February, but there have been no known meet- ings between the two sides since then. (AP) – Anguished fami- lies planned funerals in two US cities, shocked communi- ties built makeshift memo- rials to 31 victims, politicians pointed fingers and a na- tion numbed by gun violence wondered Monday what might come next. Weekend attacks 1,300 miles apart – at a packed shopping centre in El Paso, Texas, and a popular night- life stretch in Dayton, Ohio – also injured dozens more. They became the newest en- tries on an ever-growing list of mass shooting sites. For all the back-to-back horror of innocent people slain amid everyday life, dec- ades of an unmistakably American problem of gun vi- olence ensured it was not en- tirely shocking. Even as the familiar post- shooting rituals played out in both cities, the death toll ticked upward, with two more people dying of injuries sustained in shooting at the Walmart in Texas. As in a litany of other shooting sites before, the public juggled stories of the goodness seen in lives cut short with inklings of the demented motives of the shooters, and on-scene he- roics with troubling ideolo- gies that may have sparked the bloodshed. Equally familiar, Wash- ington reacted along to party lines, with President Donald Trump’s vague suggestion of openness to new gun laws met with scepticism by an opposition that has heard similar talk before. “Hate has no place in America,” Trump declared in a 10-minute speech from the White House Diplomatic Re- ception Room, condemning racism and rehashing na- tional conversations on treat- ment for mental health prob- lems, depiction of violence in the media, and discourse on the internet. A racist screed authori- ties were working to confirm was left by the alleged perpe- trator in the Texas shooting, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, mirrored some of Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, and some opponents of the pres- ident have said he shares blame for his inflammatory language. Trump, in turn, tweeted that the media “con- tributed greatly to the anger and rage that has built up”. Trump suggested a bill to expand gun background checks could be combined with his long-sought effort to toughen the nation’s im- migration system, but gave no rationale for the pairing. Studies have repeatedly shown immigrants have a lower level of criminality than those born in the US, both shooting suspects were citizens, and federal officials are investigating anti-immi- grant bias as a potential mo- tive in the Texas massacre. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, a leading voice on gun re- form since the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in his state rattled the country with the slaughter of 20 children, immediately dis- missed the president’s pro- posal as meaningless. “Tying background checks to im- migration reform is a trans- parent play to do nothing,” he wrote on Twitter. Whatever the political back-and-forth, or the re-en- ergised presence of gun con- trol talk on the presidential campaign trail, the very real consequences of gun violence were still being bared by vic- tims badly injured in the two states. In both incidents, a young white male was identified as the lone suspect. Though au- thorities were eyeing racism as a possible factor in Texas, where the alleged shooter has been booked on murder charges, in Ohio police said there was no indication of a similar motivation. Police in Dayton responded in about 30 seconds early Sunday and fatally shot 24-year- old Connor Betts. While the gunman was white and six of the nine killed were black, police said the quickness of the rampage made any dis- crimination in the shooting seem unlikely. Betts’ sister was also among the dead. “It seems to just defy be- lievability he would shoot his own sister, but it’s also hard to believe that he didn’t rec- ognize it was his sister, so we just don’t know,” said Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine visited the scene Sunday and said policymakers must con- sider: “Is there anything we can do in the future to make sure something like this does not happen?” Hours later, hundreds of people stood at a vigil and vented their frustration at the Republican governor, in- terrupting him with chants of “Make a change!” and “Do something!” as he talked about the victims. “People are angry, and they’re upset. They should be,” said Jennifer Alfrey, 24, of Middletown, who added that she didn’t agree with in- terrupting the vigil but un- derstood why so many did. In Texas, where 22 were killed, authorities said the ac- cused shooter drove nearly 10 hours from his home in a Dallas suburb. Authorities seemed to take some solace in knowing the shooter was not one of their own. “It’s not what we’re about,” El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said. Washington reacted along to party lines, with President Donald Trump’s vague suggestion of openness to new gun laws met with scepticism by an opposition that has heard similar talk before. Protesters shout slogans while holding up placards to oppose planned joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, near the US embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Monday. – PHOTO: AP Vice President Mike Pence listens as President Donald Trump speaks about the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, Monday in Washington. – PHOTOS: AP A mourner prepares crosses to place at a makeshift memorial for victims of a mass shooting at a shopping complex, Monday in El Paso, Texas.9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2019 Disputed Kashmir loses special status China’s yuan falls below sensitive level of 7 to US dollar BEIJING (AP) – China al- lowed its yuan to fall below the politically sensitive level of seven to the US dollar on Monday for the first time in 11 years, prompting concern Beijing might use devaluation as a weapon in a tariff war with Washington. The central bank blamed the exchange rate’s decline on “trade protectionism”. That followed President Donald Trump’s threat last week of more tariff hikes on Chinese goods in a bruising fight over Beijing’s trade surplus and technology policies. The currency weakened to 7.0391 to the dollar by late afternoon, making one yuan worth 14.2 cents, its lowest level since February 2008. “The thought of a cur- rency war is crossing more than a few traders’ minds,” Stephen Innes of VM Markets said in a report. The weakness of the yuan, also known as the renminbi, or “people’s money”, is among US grievances against Beijing. American officials complain it makes Chinese export prices unfairly low, hurting foreign competitors and swelling Bei- jing’s trade surplus. China’s central bank sets the exchange rate each morning and allows the yuan to fluctuate by 2% against the dollar during the day. The central bank can buy or sell currency – or order com- mercial banks to do so – to dampen price movements. It appears “the currency is now also considered part of the arsenal to be drawn upon”, Robert Carnell of ING said in a report. He said Monday’s move might be part of “a concerted series of steps aimed at pushing back at the latest US tariffs”. The level of seven yuan to the dollar has no economic significance, but could re- vive US attention to the ex- change rate. Until now, economists said the potential jolt to fi- nancial markets of falling beyond that level was big enough that the Peo- ple’s Bank of China would step in to put a floor under the currency. A central bank state- ment Monday blamed “uni- lateralism and trade pro- tectionism measures”, a reference to Trump’s tariff hikes. But it tried to play down the significance of “breaking seven”. “It is normal to rise and fall,” the statement said. It promised to “maintain stable operation of the foreign ex- change market”. Chinese leaders have promised to avoid “competi- tive devaluation” to boost ex- ports by making them less expensive abroad – a pledge the central bank governor, Yi Gang, affirmed in March. But regulators are trying to make the state-controlled ex- change rate more responsive to market forces, which are pushing the yuan lower. Trump’s tariff hikes have put downward pres- sure on the yuan by fuel- ling fears economic growth might weaken. The US Treasury Depart- ment declined in May to label China a currency manipu- lator but said it was closely watching Beijing. The yuan has lost 5% since hitting a high in Feb- ruary of 6.6862 to the dollar. That helps exporters cope with tariffs of up to 25% im- posed by Trump on billions of dollars of Chinese goods. But it raises the risk of in- flaming American complaints. Trump rattled finan- cial markets Thursday by announcing plans for 10% tariffs on an additional $300 billion of Chinese goods, effective 1 Sept. That would extend penalty du- ties to almost all US imports from China. The Treasury report in May urged Beijing to take steps “to avoid a persistently weak currency”. A weaker yuan also might disrupt Chinese ef- forts to shore up cooling economic growth. It would raise borrowing costs by encouraging an outflow of capital from the world’s second-largest economy. Globally, a weaker yuan might lead to more vola- tility in currency markets and pressure for the dollar to strengthen, Louis Kuijs of Oxford Economics said in a report. That would be “un- welcome in Washington”, where Trump has threat- ened to weaken the dollar to boost exports. A weaker dollar “would be bad news” for Europe and Japan, hurting demand for their exports at a time of cooling economic growth, Kuijs said. The Chinese central bank tried to discourage specula- tion last August by imposing a requirement that traders post deposits for contracts to buy or sell yuan. That allows trading to continue but raises the cost. Beijing imposed sim- ilar controls in October 2015 after a change in the ex- change rate mechanism prompted markets to bet the yuan would fall. The currency temporarily steadied but fell the following year. NEW DELHI (AP) – India’s government revoked disputed Kashmir’s special status with a presidential order Monday as thousands of newly de- ployed troops arrived and internet and phone services were cut in the restive Him- alayan region where most people oppose Indian rule. Home Minister Amit Shah announced the revoca- tion amid an uproar in In- dia’s Parliament and while Kashmir was under a secu- rity lockdown that kept thou- sands of people inside their homes. The decree needs the approval of the ruling party- controlled Parliament, which was debating it on Monday. The order revokes Ar- ticle 370 of India’s Constitu- tion, eliminating the state of Jammu and Kashmir’s right to its own constitution and decision-making process for all matters except defence, communications and foreign affairs. The government’s ac- tion would also strip Kashmir of its protection from Indians from outside the state per- manently settling, buying land, holding local govern- ment jobs and securing edu- cational scholarships. Critics of India’s Hindu nationalist-led government see the move as an attempt to dilute the demographics of Muslim-majority Kashmir with Hindu settlers. The announcement came after Prime Minister Nar- endra Modi convened a Cab- inet meeting and the govern- ment’s top-decision making body on security matters, the Cabinet Committee on Secu- rity, which he heads. Kashmir is divided be- tween India and Pakistan and both claim the region in its entirety. Two of the three wars India and Pakistan have fought since their independ- ence from British rule were over Kashmir. Pakistan’s foreign min- ister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, told a Pakistani TV station on Monday from Saudi Arabia, where he is on a pilgrimage to Mecca, that Pakistan will step up diplo- matic efforts to prevent the order from taking effect. “India is playing a very dangerous game by changing the status of Kashmir through illegal acts,” he said. In Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, hundreds of Kash- miri activists rallied against the change in Kashmir’s status near the diplomatic enclave where India’s em- bassy is located. Authorities kept demonstrators away from the building because of security concerns. Ghulam Mohammad Safi, a prominent Kashmiri leader in Pakistan, urged the United Nations and the international community to help Kashmir achieve self-determination. The president of the Pa- kistan-controlled portion of Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan, also rejected the In- dian presidential order and said it could lead to a war with Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir’s former chief minister, Me- hbooba Mufi, tweeted that the Indian government’s decision is “illegal” and “unconstitutional”. “Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy,” Mufti wrote. Government officials said the presidential order will take effect after it is ap- proved by Parliament, which is controlled by Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Shah also introduced the “Jammu and Kashmir Re - organization Bill” which, if passed, would split the state into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir, which will have an elected legisla- ture, and Ladakh, which will be ruled directly by the cen- tral government without a legislature of its own. Currently, the state of Jammu and Kashmir com- prises three regions: Hindu- majority Jammu, Muslim- majority Kashmir and Buddhist-majority Ladakh. Regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir had earlier called attempts to re- voke Article 370 an aggres- sion against the people. Many political parties in other Indian regions, how- ever, welcomed the decision. “In a real sense today, Jammu and Kashmir has be- come part of India. My party supports this resolution,” Prasanna Acharya, leader of the Biju Janata Dal party, said in Parliament’s upper house. The provision dates to 1927, when an order by the administration of the then- princely state of Jammu and Kashmir gave its subjects ex- clusive hereditary rights. Two months after India won inde- pendence from British rule in August 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, signed a Treaty of Accession for the state to join the rest of the union, for- malised in Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. Further discussions culmi- nated in the 1952 Delhi Agree- ment, a presidential order that extended Indian citizen- ship to the residents of the state but left the maharaja’s privileges for residents intact. Late Sunday in Kashmir, government forces laid steel barricades and razor wire on roads and intersections to cut off neighbourhoods in Srinagar, the region’s main city. The government issued a security order banning public meetings, rallies and movement and said schools would be closed. Authorities also sus- pended internet services on cellphones, a common tactic to prevent anti-India demon- strations from being organ- ised and to stop the dissemi- nation of news. The order affects about 7 million people living in the region, including journal- ists who faced difficulties in relaying information to the outside world. It was unclear when the security measures would be lifted, or the extent to which many Kashmiris were aware of the presidential order being debated in Parliament, since access had been cut off. The security deployment in recent days added at least 10,000 soldiers and other forces in Kashmir, which was already one of the world’s most militarised regions. India also ordered thousands of tourists and Hindu pil- grims to leave the region. Modi and his Hindu na- tionalist party won reelection early this year on a platform that included promises to do away with special rights for Kashmiris. Rebels in Indian-controlled Kashmir have been fighting Indian control since 1989. Most Kashmiris support the rebels’ demand that the ter- ritory be united either under Pakistani rule or as an inde- pendent country, while also participating in civilian street protests against Indian con- trol. About 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian crackdown. “ The thought of a currency war is crossing more than a few traders’ minds.” STEPHEN INNES, VM Markets Barricades are set up by Indian police Monday to prevent the movement of vehicles during curfew-like restrictions in Jammu, India. – PHOTO: APNext >