Archive for January 11th, 2010
Banning the burqa unveils some nasty traits in us
France is considering passing a law that would mean women who wear the burqa or niqab in public would face a £700 fine. French MPs will vote on the proposal later this month; the fine would apply to anyone “whose face is fully covered in public”. Jean-François Copé, parliamentary leader of Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP group, told Le Figaro that the proposed law was based on sexual equality and public safety considerations, not on religious ones. “We spoke to religious and secular figures, who all confirmed [the burqa] was not a religious prescription. Wearing the full body veil is about extremists who want to test the republic,” he said.
Religion and women
(New York Times): Religions derive their power and popularity in part from the ethical compass they offer. So why do so many faiths help perpetuate something that most of us regard as profoundly unethical: the oppression of women? It is not that warlords in Congo cite Scripture to justify their mass rapes (although the last warlord I met there called himself a pastor and wore a button reading “rebels for Christ”). It’s not that brides are burned in India as part of a Hindu ritual. And there’s no verse in the Koran that instructs Afghan thugs to throw acid in the faces of girls who dare to go to school.
Two armed home invasions for cash
(CNS): In two separate incidents yesterday evening, 10 January, armed robbers entered into homes and stole cash at gunpoint. In both cases, the occupants received minor injuries. Two men have been arrested in connection to the first incident. At approximately 7:00pm the 911 Emergency Communications Centre received a report from a resident of Turtle Lane, West Bay, that two men had entered the residence, one said to be carrying a firearm, the other a machete, and demanded money. A brown purse containing an undisclosed amount of cash was taken.
Four people were in the residence at the time of the robbery, two of which received slight injuries that did not require hospital treatment. Police attended the location and a short time later two men aged 23 and 24 years of age were arrested. Further investigations continue.
Another robbery took place at Treasure Island Condos, Seven Mile Beach, last night at around 11:45pm. It was reported to police that 4 men, all wearing dark clothing with their faces covered, knocked on a door at the resort and forced their way in to the room. One of the men was said to be carrying a firearm.
A wallet was taken from one of the occupants of the residence and the suspects fled from the apartment shortly after, towards the parking lot. Three people were home at the time of the incident, two females and one male. One of the women received minor cuts to her knees and mouth.
Anyone who was in the vicinity of Treasure Island, West Bay Road, and may have seen these men clad in black are asked to contact George Town Police Station CID, at 9494222 or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477 (TIPS).
Three men injured in early morning single car smash
(CNS): A teenage boy and an twenty-five year old man remain in hospital this morning (Monday 11 January) following a single vehicle smash near the Botanic Park in Frank Sound in the early hours of Sunday morning. An 18 year old man was also injured in the incident but has since been released. Police said that the 15 year old and 25 year old had both received head and face injuries but they were not life-threatening.
At approximately 12:30am, 10 January, the 911 Communications Centre received a call that a vehicle had ran off the road into the bushes just past Eagle Street. Police, Fire and Ambulance attended the scene and the three occupants of the vehicle were transported to George Town Hospital to be treated for their injuries.
Police said that Investigations continue into the cause of the accident and anyone who may have witnessed this incident is encouraged to contact the Traffic Management Department at 946 6254.
Five missing at sea
(CNS): Update Monday 6:15pm. Police have now confirmed that a boat found east of the Sandbar Canal was the 26 foot canoe that went missing yesterday. Police received a report on Sunday night that the boat had left to go fishing in the morning with five people on board and had not returned. Emergency services have now called off today’s search but will resume at first light tomorrow. CNS understands that a fuel tank and other possessions from those on board as well as the boat were found during the search mission. The vessel had left from Newlands Dock at approximately 7:00am, yesterday morning, with two men aged 36, a man aged 28, a 19-year-old man and a 13-year-old girl.
The 911 Emergency Communications Centre received the missing persons report at approximately 10:15pm last night and the RCIPS Marine Unit along with Rescue One were deployed and immediately carried out searches around the island throughout the night. The police continued the search throughout the day while friends and family of the people on board waited anxiosuly for news of thier loved ones. The last call made from the vessel was at 9:40am yesterday off Rum Point.
Hit & run victim airlifted as police make arrest
(CNS): A 22-year-old man has been arrested for leaving the scene of an accident in connection with the hit and run incident that occurred on 7 January Centennial Towers, West Bay where two women were knocked down. One of the two women who was 54 years old, hit by the driver received serious head injuries and has since been airlifted to Jamaica for further treatment. A 20-year-old woman received injuries to her face, ankles and arm and was treated at the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town and was released.
Police said that the matter was still under investigation by the RCIPS Traffic Management Department and anyone with information should call 9466254.
Bernie defends Stingray City floating restaurant
(CNS): Critics of the floating Sandbar-bar have missed the major point regarding the planned project the licence holder has told CNS. Bernie Bush says his boat will be providing food to patrons around Stingray City and not just alcohol. The deputy director of Pirates Week and local small business man Bush said that the goal was to serve small, high quality, tapas like dishes of local food prepared by local chefs to give visitors a real taste of Cayman. He said that the alcohol license was secondary to the food and that even if that had been turned down he would still have gone ahead with what he says is a restaurant, not a bar.
“The one thing that the critics have missed is that this is a restaurant and I want to showcase Cayman food to people and give them a chance to try things they ordinarily wouldn’t do. People get hungry too when they are out on the water and there is no where for people to get food while they visit but yet everyone is already drinking out there,” Bush added.
He said that though at least four of the tour operators have licensed boats that are serving alcohol none of them are offering food and he said that his initiative would tap into that market. He said that from the very beginning he wanted to make sure that the restaurant would not have a detrimental environmental impact on the area and everything he will be using from plates to cutlery will be bio-degradable and drinks will be served in souvenir cups. He said he will have a waste area on the boat and that he intends to make sure that he collects not only all the garbage generated by his restaurant but also that left behind by other boats.
“The objectors are missing the point and those who started the petition against it are making this look like ex-pats against Caymanians and it shouldn’t be like that,” he said adding he suspected some of the characters involved have hidden agendas. “For every signature on their petition I can get the same number of people who support me. Not all of this is about genuine environmental objection it’s getting personal.”
Acknowledging that it is a Wildlife Interaction Zone that has special protection, Bush said he could understand why some people would like to see alcohol banned from the area altogether. But as so many boats already had licences and with people taking their own drinks on private boats our there especially at weekends he said what he proposed to do was at least offer food into that mix.
“The boat won’t be right on the Sandbar it will be anchored a little way off and won’t interfere with the rays,” he added saying the boat was not going to be a permanent fixture but would go out with the tour boats or at weekends when there were high numbers of local boaters out and he would sell small portions of what he said he would be great food.
“I hope to further the experience of those coming to Cayman and give them a taste of some of our best local dishes. At the moment we already have the booze out there what we don’t have is food.”
Bush said that sooner or later someone was going to want to do this and he was certain that it would end up being one of the big firms which is why he kept his project under wraps until he was ready to go as he didn’t want to be squeezed out before he got started.
“I am confident that we have covered every issue from the safety to environment and that this will enhance the experience that visitors have when they come to Stingray City,” Bush stated. “Everyone knows me I am not going to do anything to hurt my country.”
Youth Olympic event to be held in the Cayman Islands
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Sailing Club has been chosen to host the North American, Central American and Caribbean regional qualifying event for the Youth Olympic Games Sailing Regatta in the Byte C11 Dinghy class during the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, which will be held in Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010. This event will take place in North Sound 10 tp 15 March 2010, the club has announced. The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will involve around 5,000 athletes and officials from the 205 National Olympic Committees.
In addition, there will be an estimated 800 media representatives, 20,000 local and international volunteers, and more than 500,000 spectators. Young athletes, aged between 14 and 18 years, will compete in 26 sports and take part in Culture and Educational Programmes.
The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games aims to inspire youth around the world to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect and will create a lasting sports, culture and education legacy for youth from around the world.
The Club is very excited to be the host of such a prestigious sailing event for youth sailors which will be run alongside the highly successful J/22 International Invitational Event and become Race Cayman 2010. The Club anticipates that the regatta will attract up to 100 sailors plus coaches and families to Cayman in March and the Organising Committee is working hard to make sure that the event will be a huge success both for the participants and for the Cayman Islands.
Cayman youth sailors are already gearing up for the Youth Olympic Qualification Regatta event with a number of training programmes well under way. Registered sailors to date include competitors from Canada, Jamaica, Barbados, Bermuda, Netherland Antilles, St Lucia, BVI, USVI, Netherland Antilles, Spain, Dominican Republic and Guatemala in addition to J22 teams from Bahamas, Bermuda, UK and Jamaica.
“We are most grateful to the Cayman IslandsGovernment Ministry of Health, Education, Youth, Sport and Culture along with the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee who have both given their full support to this Youth Olympic Regatta and are major sponsors”, commented Regatta Organiser, Jane Moon. “In addition we thank the corporate sponsors who are supporting us and contributing to this prestigious sailing event.” Sponsorship opportunities are available including title sponsorship and individual or multiple boat sponsorship packages. Volunteer opportunities are also available both on and off the water. More information is available fromJane Moon janemoon@candw.ky.