Articles

Mr. Sam Bulgin has filled the post of Acting Attorney General since Mr. David Ballantyne resigned from office on 15 March, however he was unavailable to comment on whether his might have been one of the local applications received.

Mr. Colin Ross, head of the Government's personnel department, was unable to report the exact number of applications that had been received, pointing out that any appointment would be made by the Governor. He did say, however, that a number of the applications emanated from the region, as well as overseas.

Staff officer of the Governor, Mr. Kevin Mobray, indicated that although the closing date for the acceptance of applications had passed, quite a few had been received. "Although I did not receive them personally," he said, "I understand that approximately forty had come through."

According to Mr. Mobray, the jurisdictions from which the applications came were diverse. "There was a mixture from all over," he said. "The U.K., Canada, the Caribbean region, and some from Cayman."

Mr. Mobray also speculated that the date of selection for the post would be sometime during July. "As far as I know," he said, "that is the time period we're aiming for."

Mr. Ballantyne resigned from his position as Attorney General following the scandalous collapse of the Eurobank trial in January, and a subsequent vote of no confidence by the Members of the Legislative Assembly.

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Cruise Ship Passengers Now Arriving in Record Numbers

Cruise ship passengers continue to arrive in Grand Cayman in record numbers, according to a report released by the Department of Tourism (DoT) last Monday. Their statistics also show that air arrivals were slightly up in April from a year ago.
The released figures show that 178,249 visitors arrived by cruise ship last month, the second highest number ever.

During the period between December 2002 and April 2003, the five highest totals of cruise ship passengers arrived here, with a total of 875,772 visitors coming to shore.

The 178,249 cruise ship passenger arrivals in April represent a 24 percent increase from 2002, and a whopping 83 percent increase from 2000.

Air arrivals in April were up 3.9 percent from last year, due to a 38.4% increase in arrivals from the Midwest area of the US. All other regions of the United States showed declines from last year. However compared to the 35,566 air arrivals in April of 2001, the 27,807 last month represents a decline of nearly 22 percent.

Year-to-date air arrivals remain down in 2003, with 3.4 percent fewer visitors this year than last.

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National Children's Festival of the Arts Literary Competition Winners

George Town Primary School students proudly display their awards. See text on page 2. Story and photo by Kafara Augustine/GIS

The Education Department recently announced medal winners for the National Children's Festival of the Arts (NCFA) 2003 Literary Competition.

Students from various private and government schools participated in this section of the festival competition, which was established as the first step in the process of developing a body of literature written by children in the Cayman Islands. The four areas for entry in the literary field were: one-act plays, poetry, short stories and non-fiction prose.

Despite being unable to participate in the festival's performing arts and craft sections due to flooding at the school earlier this year, George Town Primary School's students were also able to compete, winning two gold medals for their efforts.

The gold medal breakdown by individual school was as follows: George Hicks (9), Triple C (5), St. Ignatius Prep (4), Creek Primary (3), Spot Bay (3), Cayman Brac High (3) John Gray (2), George Town Primary (2), Red Bay (2), Savannah (1) and John A. Cumber (1).

This year's competition also featured the Quincentennial Award for best piece with a Quincentennial theme, awarded to John Gray High School student Eldon Parchmon for "Group of Eight Poems."

The annual Rotary Central Award for best short story with a Caymanian theme was awarded to George Hicks High School student Tracey Forbes for "A Dream Come True." The joint effort of George Hicks High School's students Michael Parsons, Robert Hewitt and Stephan Rattan for "The Confused Fairy Tale" was also considered outstanding by the adjudicators.

The gold medal winning pieces will be published in a booklet sponsored by Coutts (Cayman) Ltd, which will be available at the Education Department later on in the year. A complete list of all the medal winners can be found on the Government web site at www.gov.ky.

Story and photo by Kafara Augustine/GIS

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World Report

US Secretary of Defence
Donald Rumsfeld

ALGIERS: A strong aftershock measuring at least 5.5 on the Richter scale jolted Algeria, causing widespread panic and at least 200 injuries as more quake-damaged buildings collapsed.

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas delayed talks on the Middle East roadmap ahead of a highly-anticipated peace summit with US President George Bush.

NEW YORK: US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld said that Iraq faced a rough transition to democracy, and warned that any effort to remake the country in Iran's image would be "aggressively put down."

WASHINGTON: Hopes for a second-half economic rebound got a lift from reports showing a robust housing market and a modest increase in consumer confidence.

MOSCOW: Russia and China swiped at the United States over its handling of Iraq and North Korea as new Chinese leader Hu Jintao reaffirmed traditional ties with Moscow by making his first visit abroad here.

BEIJING: Asia reported just 22 new SARS cases, but the epidemic continued to cast a shadow over the region's economy and a resurgence of the virus in Canada saw the country put back on the black list of SARS-hit areas.

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News

Miss Cayman 2003 in Panama for Miss Universe

Nichelle Welcome, Miss Cayman Islands (left); Nadia Johnson, Miss Bahamas; Vanessa Van Arendonk, Miss Curacao; and Kai Davis, Miss Antigua and Barbuda, chat during a break in the pre-taping of the opening number at the Miraflores locks in Panama

Photo courtesy of Miss Universe LLP

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Rotary Sunrise Raffle to Benefit Needy Children

Rotary Sunrise charity raffle ticket buyers can win this new Mini Cooper S or two round trip British Airways tickets to London.

Rotary Sunrise will conduct a charity raffle for the benefit of needy children on the island at the Kaibo Public Beach on the evening of Father's Day, 15 June.

Among the large list of valuable prizes is a new 163 bhp Mini Cooper S loaded with options. Other prizes include two round trip business class tickets on British Airways to London and a weekend accommodation for two at the Little Cayman Beach Resort, including airfare.

Sunrise, the newest Rotary club, has organised the fundraiser to help the children who need it the most. "There are a number of Cayman children who seem to miss many of the benefits enjoyed by the great majority of us who live and enjoy these islands," says club president Mr. Alastair Paterson.

There are many other nice prizes like gift vouchers at local restaurants and shops, many valued at $100. "Your chances of winning are excellent," says Mr. Paterson, "and it's for a great cause. Your support will ensure we enrich the lives of those who cannot help themselves."

Tickets are $25 each or five for $100 and are available from Foster's Food Fair, A.L. Thompson Home Depot, Sky Services, Noah's Ark, Arabus, Island Art and Framing, the Grand Old House and from any Sunrise Rotarian. On Cayman Brac, tickets can be purchased from Audley Scott.

For more information, call Tim Dailey at 949-5759, Geoff Mathews at 946-9460 or Alastair Paterson at 949-6804.

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SITA's Little Cayman's Sister Islands Cook-Off Winners

Little Cayman held the 6th annual Little Cayman Sister Islands Cook-Off (SICO) on May 17, 2003. This island competition was very well attended and was a fun event for all island residents and guests.

The cook-off was accompanied by a raffle for Cayman Air and Island Air airplane tickets, dinners, free hotel stays, and other valuable items.

Visitors Bob and Sue Veltri won the traditional egg toss competition. These generous athletes donated their cash winnings to the Little Cayman School Fund.

Judges for the competition were: Director of Tourism, Lania Rittenhouse; Chef Tom Rittenhouse, Executive Chef from the Lighthouse at Breakers; Remy Azavedo, Miss Cayman Islands 2003 Runner-Up, Terry-Anne Arch; and Cayman Islands Quincentennial Committee member Stuart.

There were four categories in the cooking competition; soup/appetizer, salad, entrée, and dessert, and a total of 47 dishes entered. First and Second Place Winners in each category received a cash prize and a beautiful Cayman National Bank Trophy. A Grand Champion Cayman National Bank Trophy was awarded the dish with the highest overall point total.

The following are the winners of each category:

Soup/Appetizer: First Place: Seafood Soup - Lucilla "Granny" Bodden Southern Cross Club 35 points
Second Place: Cayman Style Red Bean Soup w/ Coconut Milk Frederic Campbell Hungry Iguana Restaurant 34 points

Salad:
First Place: Curried Wahoo Avocado Salad Dianne Sherer Pirates Point Resort 38 points
Second Place: Grilled Pirates Salad Cam Mackie Pirates Point Resort - 37 points

Entrée:
First Place: Shrimp in Coconut Sauce Wayne Burmiester Southern Cross Club 35 points
Second Place: Jerk Pork Tenderloin w/ Caribe Sauce Dianne Sherer Pirates Point Resort 34 points
Dessert:
First Place: White Chocolate Mousse w/ Caramelized Bananas Errol "Chubby" White Little Cayman Beach Resort 43 points
Second Place: Silk Velvet Cake Chef Aval Tucker Little Cayman Beach Resort 37 points

Chef Errol "Chubby" White won the Grand Champion Cayman National Trophy and a cash prize with his Dessert White Chocolate Mousse w/ Caramelized Bananas.

The organizers wish to thank all who contributed to make the event and the raffle a success. Donors of food and drinks included Jacques Scott, Blackbeards Rum Cake, Cayman Distributors, Tortuga Rum, Village Square, Stingray Beer, Fosters Food Fair, Thompson Shipping and Cayman Imports. The volunteers were great for putting for all of their time, and a special appreciation goes out to all of the outstanding participants.

Very special thanks goes to Cayman National Bank for sponsoring the beautiful Nambe' Trophies and cash prizes.

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Walkers Children & The Arts Programme to audition Cayman teens for Florida Theatre Troupe

Grant Stein, Walkers Senior Partner

As a part of the "Walkers Children & The Arts Programme" Cayman teens will soon have the opportunity to audition for six spots in the Florida Theatrical Associations (FTA) teen performance troupe, "Broadway's Class Act."

For the talented six who are selected this will mean the opportunity to be trained by some of the best musical theatre instructors in the United States, all of which have worked with original Broadway choreographers and casts.

Auditions will take place on June 21, 2003 at 9am at Barnes Dance Academy Limited in Alissta Towers. To assist students in preparing for the audition, Barnes Dance Academy Limited will hold an audition workshop on June 14, 2003 from 3pm to 5pm.
"Broadway's Class Act" is an ensemble company of 20 Florida freshman to senior high school students who will now be joined by six additional Cayman troupe members. The troupe will learn numbers from Florida's upcoming season of Broadway shows as part of the troupe repertoire of song, dance and improvisation.

These shows are: Thoroughly Modern Millie, 42nd Street, Hairspray, Les' Miserables, Urinetown, Starlight Express, Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia, Grease and The Producers. The addition of the six Cayman members will mark the first international extension of the Florida troupe.

To be eligible for selection students should be in their freshman to senior year in high school as of September 2003 and must not be younger than 13 years of age. On the day of the audition each student should bring the following: one letter of reference from a teacher; a copy of their school transcript; a 500-word essay explaining their interest in the arts and a recent photograph. To audition students should wear clothes and shoes that will allow them to move freely and if they have dance shoes of any kind, they should bring them. If selected, to remain in the troupe, students must maintain a minimum B grade average in school.
Students auditioning should expect to participate in movement and improvisational exercises to show their ability with creativity as well as expression. The term of this performance troupe is one year and is open to incoming freshman, sophomores, and current juniors. Seniors are not applicable.

There will be a parent briefing at the beginning of the audition session to explain how the "Broadway's Class Act" programme will work and to answer any questions parents may have. All parents are encouraged to attend. For additional information on the auditions or audition workshop, please contact Mrs. Susan Barnes-Pereira from Barnes Dance Academy Limited by telephone 943 2325, cell 916-7879 or email bdal@candw.ky.

Once selected, the six troupe members will begin their year as members of "Broadway's Class Act" by attending an all expense paid one-week summer camp in Ft. Lauderdale to rehearse with the Florida troupe members. There will be two other rehearsal trips to Ft. Lauderdale later in the year.

The six selected students will be trained by instructors from the FTA and by Mrs. Barnes-Pereira and Mr. Patrick Kasper from Z99's Derek and Patrick show, both of whom are accomplished performers. Mrs. Barnes-Pereira and Mr. Kasper, who have both generously volunteered their time to work with the Cayman troupe, will instruct the students under the guidance of the FTA.

Students from last year's "Broadway's Class Act" have enjoyed great success in furthering their dreams of a future in the performing arts. All of the graduating seniors from last year's troupe have been accepted into some of Florida's leading colleges for theatre and dance, many on scholarship. Four students were selected to submit materials and audition for the New York production of "Hairspray", while others have performed in numerous Florida productions and in U.S. national television commercials.

The offer by the FTA to include six Cayman teens in "Broadway's Class Act" has stemmed from the organization's participation in the "Walkers' Children & The Arts Programme." Sponsored by Walkers, instructors from FTA and several members of "Broadway's Class Act" held three days of children's workshops

followed by a free public performance at "Supper at the Castle" earlier this year. The local children's talent, high level of interest in music theatre and Walkers' commitment to its children and the arts programme so impressed the FTA that they wanted to continue working with children on the Island.

In addition to providing six Cayman teens with positions in "Broadway's Class Act," FTA instructors will hold three two-day music theatre workshops on the Island over the next year. This will allow the FTA instructors to introduce a large number of children on the Island to music theatre as well as allowing for intensive training sessions with the six Cayman troupe members.

Mr. Grant Stein, Walkers Senior Partner, said he was very excited about the partnership between Walkers and the FTA and the opportunities that their collaboration could provide for the children of the Cayman Islands. "For children on the Island who are interested in performing arts the FTA is a source of immense resources," Mr. Stein said. "Over the past several months the Walkers' Children & The Arts Programme has focused on introducing children to the arts, we now want to take that a step further by providing children with the opportunities and resources they need to pursue their dreams of perfecting their skills in their chosen art forms."

The "Broadway's Class Act" project is also being supported by Cayman Airways and Silver Sands Condominiums who are providing assistance with airfare and accommodations for project participants.

"Broadway's Class Act" was created to support and aid the mission of FTA and Broadway in South Florida. Types of projects the
Florida troupe will be involved in include performances throughout the State of Florida, fundraising, and education of the public on arts awareness and Broadway Across America. Last years performances included visits to the Cayman Islands and New York City. The Cayman troupe members will be involved locally in projects of a similar nature to those being undertaken by the Florida troupe.

Broadway Across America is the nationwide Broadway marketing and customer service initiative that serves as a mark
of quality, ensuring consumers that they are seeing first-rate touring Broadway shows, often directly from the original Broadway producers.

Broadway in South Florida is presented in arrangement with Florida Theatrical Association, a non-profit civic organization with a volunteer board of trustees, established to ensure the continued presentation of quality national touring Broadway productions in Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Miami Beach in the state of Florida. FTA was founded with the purpose of
educating and developing new audiences and to encourage and preserve the presentation of touring Broadway theatre.

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Editorial

Escaping the clutch of Colonial Rule

From 20 22 May, the Special Committee on Decolonization held a Caribbean regional seminar in Anguilla, a non-self-governing territory, to discuss the issue of decolonization and focus on practical steps to advance the process in the Caribbean and Bermuda.

Being a non-self-governing territory ourselves, the conference had special significance for the people of Cayman, as we contemplate the right to self-government.

Last October, the Fourth Committee of the Fifty-Seventh General Assembly of the United Nations, approved "the inalienable right of the peoples of non-self-governing territories to self-determination, including if they so wished independence, by the terms of one of seven draft resolutions and two decisions on decolonization..."

Today, throughout the world, there are only 16 non- self-governing territories remaining. A whopping 10 are still controlled by Mother England, with the United States controlling three and New Zealand and France each controlling one.

Five of the UK's territories are in the Caribbean, including the Cayman Islands, of course, as well as Anguilla, Turks & Caicos, Montserrat, and the British Virgin Islands.

In many of these islands, the constitution is far more advanced than Cayman's. Bermuda especially is a great example, especially since its constitution has been dubbed "the ideal model" by advocates of self-government.

Bermuda is the oldest overseas territory in the British Commonwealth and has a vast degree of internal autonomy. It is therefore no wonder that the Bermudian Government is always consulted on any international negotiations affecting the territory and it participates, through British delegations, in the UN.

They have a premier who is head of the government and leader of the majority party in the House of Assembly. The cabinet is composed of 14 members selected by the premier from among members of the House of Assembly and the Senate.

Compare our own system of government and we can immediately see the flaws in the constitutional model we presently have, and what has been sent back to us from Britain. We as a people must begin to move away from the mental slavery that has kept us trapped in a system of non-self-government for too long. We must consider and begin to seriously endorse a movement towards the adoption of the Bermuda model for our style of governance.

Some of us continue to believe that should we strive for self-government, we will only end up with a battered economic, social and political structure, much like those Caribbean countries that sought independence from Great Britain. It is sheer ignorance to continue to believe that we will become like Guyana, Jamaica or Trinidad, rife with problems of economic woes, crime and racial tension. This scare tactic has been promulgated mainly by some former colonials who have sequestered themselves here as their last hurrah.

In this light, it is folly for us to believe that clinging to the apron strings of Britain will ensure our economic and social comfort forever.

We need to urge government to hold a referendum, if necessary, so we can hear the true voices of the people. While we are not in any way proposing total independence, we believe that having our own premier, who is consulted on issues that are important to us, is the road we should head towards.

We cannot continue to keep our heads buried in the glorious sands of Seven Mile beach.

The time has come for us to decide; for our future and our children's future. We must move away from a system where we are told what to do or else, for that kind of control is for unruly children, which we are not.

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Letter to the Editor

All emergency calls free 911 Manager

Dear Sir,

I write in response to the letter titled "911 unhelpful, not toll free" in which the writer claimed that the call was not free and the 911 operator was unhelpful.

Due to Emergency Communications confidentiality policy I cannot disclose the full details of that particular call. However since all calls to 911 are recorded, I had an opportunity to review this particular incident and am assured that the 911 officer assisted the caller to the best of his ability, despite handling other emergency calls at the same time. The officer was in no way discourteous or unprofessional in the execution of his duties.

I cannot comment on the matters relating to the police department.

All 911 telecommunicators are trained professionals who follow specific guidelines on how to process calls. In this case, the caller was asked to stay on the line so the operator could radio a police officer to respond to the call.

The caller was also told that someone was being sent to assist. She was being kept on the line only to ensure she could be updated once contact was made with the police and to be given the reassurance that 911 were sending the appropriate assistance.

All 911 calls are free regardless of whether you're using a landline, cell-phone or pay phone. Even if your telephone is disconnected, you still have access to 911. The Ministry of Planning, Communications, Works and Information Technology, under which the department falls, bears this cost so that the service is available island-wide, at no charge to the public. The caller was heard to say that the battery in her cell-phone was dying which might explain why the call terminated. As our procedure dictates, 911 called her back on a different number she had also (later) used. In the unlikely event that a charge was made to her telephone, this is a matter she must address with Cable & Wireless as 911 has no capability to apply charges to telephones.
The public is often reminded that 911 is for emergencies only, yet non-emergency calls continue to come in. These non-urgent calls are not discarded, instead they receive the same high level of care and attention as that given to emergency calls because we recognize and understand that they are generally the types of calls requiring more of the human touch rather than an emergency response.

Sometimes our assistance is simply to point the caller in the right direction where their needs can be suitably addressed.
However, emergencies such as immediate threats of danger to life or property, will always take priority over non-emergency calls. All emergency services, including 911, must prioritize each call depending on severity and available resources, when more than one emergency is taking place at the same time.

Our department always welcomes honest criticism and positive feedback because this helps us maintain our high performance standards. As usual, we also encourage members of the public to contact the department at 244-3065 to set up 911 presentations so they can have a firsthand demonstration and explanation of how the service works to assist all our residents.

Juliette Gooding, Manager
Emergency Communications/911

Editor's Note:
In a letter published in yesterday's (Wednesday, 28 May) edition of Cayman Net News, the management of Cable & Wireless confirmed, "calls to 911 are and always have been free".

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Former Gov't Ministers call for referendum before new constitution

Dear Sir,

The people of the Cayman Islands have a fundamental right to a general election on the major changes by the new draft constitution as happened in the 1992 election. Alternatively there must be a referendum on about five of the most important changes.

The Government should be finding solutions to Cayman's hurting economy and help Caymanians to support their families rather than further hurting the economy with changing the constitution at this time.

Caymanians, you have had the party system imposed on you without exercising your Democratic right in a general election. It will be a serious mistake to allow the constitution to be imposed on you without this process or a referendum.

The Peoples Progressive Movement and some 7000 petitioners support a referendum before a new constitution is made and brought into operation.

The people can vote in the MLAs who represent the changes to the constitution the people want and the new constitution come in shortly there after. That is the democratic way.

Do not be fooled into believing that you must have the new constitution passed before the next elections to have a Chief Minister appointed after the elections.

The new constitution does not have to be passed before the next elections. The Governor appoints the Chief Minister and he can do so at any time after the elections.

Demand your democratic and fundamental right to a referendum or general election before a new constitution. After is too late.

Tom Jefferson,
John McLean,
Truman Bodden

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Call to keep the ferries out of West Bay

Dear Sir,

We are writing this letter to strongly object to the proposed ferry terminal dock and seawall in West Bay. We have been homeowners in West Bay since 1985.

Everyone in Cayman has witnessed the devastating beach erosion caused by seawalls in the George Town area. As residents of West Bay, we have witnessed it in our own area. More seawalls and a 300-foot long pier will have an irreversible devastating effect on a significant portion of the Seven Mile Beach. Homeowners and condominium owners are justifiably concerned!
Much of the economy in Cayman depends on visiting divers. Cayman has always been a world-class diving attraction. And now the Cayman Government is considering putting a 300-foot long pier to be used by cruise ship tenders right in the middle of what we thought was an environmentally protected Marine Park right in the middle of Cayman's premier dive sites! What is the Government thinking? This pier and the extensive boat traffic will destroy the coral reefs, the reef fish, and the dive industry!
To tender cruise ship passengers from the ships anchored in George Town to the proposed West Bay pier will take 30 to 45 minutes each way! How long will it be before passengers complain that such a long trip is not acceptable? Then, cruise ship owners will want to anchor their ships in West Bay, right there in the Marine Park in the middle of Cayman's prime dive sites! The Government, having made such a big investment in the West Bay pier and terminal complex, will no doubt agree, and allow the cruise ships to anchor in West Bay. There goes the dive industry for sure! And the Cayman economy as well!
West Bay is a residential community, and it should stay that way! Cruise ships should anchor in George Town the heart of the Cayman Islands where cruise ship passengers want to go. The George Town commercial area is much better equipped to handle the thousands of passengers than West Bay could ever hope to be. Sure, tourists also want to see the Turtle Farm and Hell. The taxi system is more than capable of handling this requirement!

We are certainly in favor of progress and development for all of Cayman. But not at the risk of destroying the very thing Caymanians and visitors alike cherish the beautiful Seven Mile Beach!

We ask the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, and Development & Commerce to reconsider. As the Ministry of Tourism they should consider what a devastating effect such a pier would have on the dive tourist industry. As the ministry of Environment they should consider what the effect would be on the precious environment. As the Ministry of Development and Commerce they should consider the effect on all of Cayman.

Please let us not have a ferry terminal dock in West Bay!

Robert and Nancy Tompkins
West Bay Residents

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Are we killing the goose that laid the golden egg?

Dear Sir,

I recently met a Canadian couple who were married on the Brac 15 years ago and return every 5 years to celebrate their anniversary. They were disappointed by the noticeable drop in the population of egrets and herons in the ponds and lagoons on the south side of the island, and curious as to what brought this about.
Unfortunately, I had to tell them that it was neither a result of climate change nor migration. The birds were shot, by permission of the District Administration and the CAA, to get rid of the risk of bird strikes on aircraft.
Around the world, airports are built on low-lying wetlands that have been filled. It is easier and safer for pilots and air traffic controllers if airports are located in low, flat areas with good visibility. Wading and swimming birds are also attracted to wetlands for obvious reasons. So there is obviously a potential for conflict. Bird strikes are dangerous for both people and birds.
Elsewhere in the world, however, non-lethal methods have been discovered to work very well in controlling bird populations that live near airfields. One might think that an island that is pushing nature tourism and receiving FCO grants to erect interpretive signs about its rich and varied bird life would give some consideration to investigating these alternatives. Shooting the birds on the ponds seems awfully akin to killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Claudette Upton
Watering Place
Cayman Brac

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Current Commentary

Anglosphere: 'White man's burden' again

By James C. Bennett

WASHINGTON (UPI) Mohandas Gandhi was reputed to have said, "First they ignore us. Then they fight us. Then we win." The Anglosphere idea, now beginning to emerge on the political radarscope, appears to be moving from the first to the second stage of Gandhi's schema. Although it is obvious that many more ideas advance from the first stage to the second, than from the second to the third, still this is a sign of progress.

The emerging debate over Britain's ratification of the proposed European constitution is likely to see the Anglosphere idea become a part of the political discourse created thereby. Three references, direct or oblique, recently surfaced in political commentary this part week, and invite comment.

Former Tory Prime Minister John Major, in an otherwise well-stated article announcing his opposition to the European Constitution draft, dashed a glass of warm beer in the direction of the Anglosphere idea by stating that a "transatlantic link" could not take the place of Britain's European involvement.

This is disingenuous. It is not a question of Anglosphere ties (far more than "transatlantic, by the way) replacing the European Union for Britain. A perfect European partnership with a problem-free European economy would obviously be a great thing for Britain. In the imperfect real world, Britain does not have that choice. It is rather a matter of how to extricate Britain from dependence on an increasingly troubled Continental European economy that does not seem to have the political will to reform itself.

Placing institutional circuit breakers between Britain and the Continent (for example, to preserve the integrity of British private pensions) is one need; the other is for improved economic partnerships to supplement faltering European ones. The Anglosphere is the only real, practical option for such but even the current European ties prevent Britain from taking advantage of its inherent ability to fully exploit that option. Australia is wasting no time taking up Bush's willingness to extend a free trade agreement. The same up to and including NAFTA affiliation would be there for Britain for the asking.

Noted Europhile Chris Huhne, responding the former U.S. presidential adviser Dick Morris's remarkably Anglospherist column in London's Telegraph, made a particularly silly objection by noting that "a standard container costs £450 to ship from Canterbury to Calais, the nearest port on the mainland of Europe, but £1,540 to ship to Boston, the nearest port in North America."

Leaving aside the point that it is Halifax that is in fact the nearest major mainland port in North America (O Canada, you have become invisible to Europhiles so much for Vimy and Dieppe) this factoid overlooks the reality that transportation costs do not seem to deter Toyota from shipping cars profitably from Nagoya to Baltimore or Southampton, nor for that matter American mines from selling coal in Britain. Going further, it's not clear why, if transport costs were such a barrier to trade, there is ever any need for tariffs for trade protection. If American goods are cheap enough to be a threat to European protectionists, transatlantic trade can hardly be too expensive to be an opportunity to free traders.

Disposing of such lesser objections, we must turn to a remarkable piece by the intelligent but deeply misguided Mike Gonzalez of the Wall Street Journal Europe. In it, he trots out the argument that has been the mainstay of U.S. State Department-received wisdom for the past half-century: that Britain must immerse itself fully in the rapidly-congealing European superstate in order to reform it into a free-market entity, and to carry America's water in the councils of Europe.

This policy makes European membership Britain's new "White Man's Burden" carrying enlightenment to the "Lesser Breeds Without the Law." Well, some scholars have always held that Kipling intended that description to mean the Germans anyway, so perhaps there is a poetic justice in that theory.

The problem is that Britain, even with the presumed votes of New Europe (assuming Poland and others approve EU membership), is unlikely to prevail over the Franco-German axis and their allies so long as the fight is on their terms and under their rules. Gonzalez holds out the example of Blair's leadership during the Iraq war. He posits that had the Tories been in office, they would neither have wanted nor been able to line up the Eastern European leaders in support of the Anglo-American policy, because of a supposed Tory Euroskeptic desire to make all of Europe tainted in American eyes.

This is truly disingenuous. For one thing, the Eastern European leaders so influenced were not in fact members of the European Union. If Britain had been outside of, or in a looser relationship to the European Union, it is hard to see why Poland or the Czech Republic would have been any less committed to solidarity with the United States. Conversely, if the EU had already been operating under the proposed Constitution, Britain would have been unable to render its very substantial participation in Iraq. The major threat to Polish cooperation was French pressure, crudely wielded by President Jacques Chirac.

Gonzalez maintains that Britain under Blair will not agree to subordinate its foreign and defense policy to the EU, but Blair has not said what he would do if the final draft failed to reverse itself upon that point. The fact is that the only way Britain can prevent having to ratify an unacceptable European Constitution is to have a credible alternative course of action available.

Going further on that point, the only real way Continental Europe can hope to make critical reforms in its own internal structure is through the presence of competition. Britain is the only major member that is both economically healthy and not in need of fundamental structural reform. It is also one with an economically meaningful alternative course of action close alignment with the North American economy. Engaging in internal politics on the European Council is not going to permit Britain to force any meaningful reform through, with or without Eastern European votes.

Britain must make a credible threat to leave the European Union rather than submit to the proposed Constitution. Continental Europe enjoys a positive trade balance with Britain, and in an era of growing unemployment and domestic stagnation cannot afford to cut off free trade across the Channel. Britain would then be in a perfect position to propose a Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Area including itself, North America, and Europe.

Such a TAFTA is Europe's best bet for economic renovation, and the key to avoid forcing Britain to choose between American and Europe. Either by leaving and concluding American free trade, or by demanding a TAFTA as the price of remaining within a looser EU, Britain has the opportunity to serve as the catalyst for such a trade deal emerging before the end of the decade.
A British veto of the new Constitution, and a credible threat to leave the EU if not reformed and turned outward-looking, would not leave Chirac "straddling Europe like a colossus," in Gonzalez's vivid image (rather bringing to mind Gulliver extinguishing the palace fire in Lilliput). Rather, it is the most likely course of action almost the only action that would avoid an eventual locking into place of a Franco-German core ruling through an un-reformable and distant bureaucracy in Brussels, one that sees its mission as frustrating America at all costs.

The alternative of an Anglosphere-led initiative to spur free trade and reform across the Atlantic does not require a discrediting of Europe in America's eyes. Rather, it is the best way to bring America, Britain and Ireland, and Continental Europe back on a path to mutual and beneficial cooperation.

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Help Me Harlan

Parents dump son, hang on to ex-daughter-in-law

Harlan Cohen

Dear Harlan,
My fiance and I have been together for three and a half years, but his parents are really treating him badly. He was married once before, and his ex and his mom became close. They always kept secrets for each other. His ex wasn't a very good person at all, but his mom really liked her and didn't want him to get a divorce. His parents are not happy within their own relationship, and it seems like they don't want my fiance to be happy either. Every time we are around his parents, they are always talking about his ex-wife, and it really bothers him, and me, too. We have finally stopped going around them as much as we used to because they do this.

We want to approach the issue, but we really don't know how to do it. He is hurting so much because his own parents have turned their backs on him so many times. Not to mention, they don't want him to be happy. Instead of calling us about what was going on for Easter, his mom called his ex-wife. We were not invited to their house, yet his ex was. He has been hurting so badly over this. He has even made extreme comments such as wanting to change his last name and tell his parents that they no longer have a son but that they can have a new daughter. What should we do?

Hurt in Indiana

Dear Hurt,
Unless the divorce includes the ex-wife getting custody of your fiance's relationship with his parents, there is no excuse for his parents' behavior.

Your fiance has been through the pain of his divorce, but his parents don't seem to be there yet. They're stuck in divorce denial. Instead of dealing with it, they avoid it and inflict more pain. They act as if he's still married. It's strange. Rather than your fiance focusing solely on how his parents are hurting him, help him see the bigger picture. Their actions might just be their way of dealing with their own pain. This doesn't excuse them, but it helps make their actions a little less malicious.

At this point, your fiance needs to find a therapist who specializes in divorce issues. He needs professional guidance. Once he can get a firm grasp on this situation, he can approach his parents. If they don't respond, he can ask them to attend family counseling with him. Should his parents be unwilling to participate, at least your fiance can sleep easy knowing that he's done everything in his power to help make things better.

Dear Harlan,
I have been dating this woman. We seemed to be a match. It was a passionate love affair. We had great plans. She proposed to me, of all things. Then I said something to her about some minor thing I did not like. Wow, she exploded and did not speak to me for four days. I figured the show was over. Now she's back, wanting to get back together, but I am not sure about this thing. What does this woman want?
"C" in Dallas

Dear "C" in Dallas,
She wants to date a mime -- but only a mime who won't pantomime her faults. Clearly, what she doesn't want is a healthy relationship based on open and honest communication. She did you a favor. I'd get out while you can. Ruuuunnnnn.

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Chiropractic

Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Dr Jemal Khan,
Chiropractor

This is one of the most common running related injuries. It is also easily treated if diagnosed and treated early before it becomes chronic. This condition often responds well to chiropractic treatment, even those cases that have proven to be stubborn.

The Iliotibial band (ITB) is a tough group of fibers that run along the side of the thigh. It starts at the upper side of the hip and ends at the side of the upper knee. You can feel your ITB when you stand. It causes the outside of your thigh to become very firm and tight while allowing your thigh muscles to remain relaxed.

Development of IT band problems can usually be traced to training error or faulty biomechanics.
A common training error is prolonged running on uneven surfaces. This causes the pelvis to tilt to one side and stresses the IT band. Many runners do not realize that road running counts as running on an uneven surface. Over-training is another common error. Over-training pit-falls include increasing the intensity of training too fast, or excessive hill running (perhaps not a problem in Cayman). The most common over-training error is not enough rest between work-outs. This damages the area before it has a chance to heal from the last session.

A biomechanical fault that may lead to IT band syndrome is often related to faulty pelvis mechanics. This is due to the relationship between the muscles that attach the pelvis and the ITB. Faulty pelvic mechanics cause the muscles to pull at a slightly incorrect angles, leading to soreness. Other biomechanical problems can be related to excessive pronation (arch collapse) of the foot, leg length discrepancy, and "bowed" legs.

Signs and Symptoms

· Pain on the side of the knee.
· Pain is often worse after running.
· Pain may not be present until mid-way through a run.
· Sometimes associated with a 'snapping hip', in which the muscles that cross the outside of the hip can be felt to snap or click during walking or running.
· Pain may also present as lateral thigh pain more so than knee pain.
· Can often be attributed to some form of over-training, or rapid increase in training levels.

What's Going On

The lateral knee pain is being caused by the ITB pulling where it attaches to the side of the knee. Underneath the ITB near this attachment is a bursa. Bursae are fluid filled sacs that lubricate areas where rubbing and friction occur. When that ITB is pulled tight, excessive pressure is placed on the bursa. The bursa becomes inflamed and swollen, causing pain.

Treatment Plan

· Address faulty pelvic mechanics with your chiropractor.
· Reduce or stop running until pain has disappeared.
· Use ice over outside of the knee when pain is severe.
· Stretch the hip and buttock muscles.
· Deep tissue massage of the effect muscles.
· Address any potential faulty foot mechanics
· Return to running gradually.

Accurate evaluation of pain in the hip, knee, or feet requires knowledge of functional anatomy. If you are suffering from knee or hip pain you believe may be caused by a ITB disorder you should see your chiropractor.

Dr. Jemal Khan,
Chiropractor
Cayman Chiropractic Clinic

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Overseas People

Liz Taylor hosts celebrity bash, despite reports of ill-health

US veteran actress Elizabeth Taylor arrives with George Stevens Jr. at the Olympia cinema in Cannes to attend a screening of 'Giant', starring Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. AFP PHOTO/Francios LO PRESTI

MOUGINS, France (AFP) Elizabeth Taylor, looking a little unwell but still smiling, hosted a big celebrity AIDS bash late Thursday, 22 May a day after she suffered a bout of fatigue in Cannes.

The 72-year-old star was applauded by the guests - a constellation of showbiz stars who included Elton John, Lionel Richie, Tim Burton, Adrien Brody, Elizabeth Hurley and Meg Ryan - as she arrived for the event.

The actress, who wore a long green dress by Gianfranco Ferre, was helped by two people as she hesitantly walked the 50 meters (150 feet) to the door of the heavily-guarded Moulin de Mougins restaurant near Cannes.

"I love you," the actress, smiling, told the hundreds of cameramen and photographers who lined the red carpet.
The star, looking tired, cut short a scheduled appearance on the sidelines of the Cannes film festival.

She had been scheduled to attend the world launch of a DVD of the 1956 movie "Giant", in which she stars with James Dean, the last film he made before dying in a car accident.

Taylor was seen stepping out of a limousine outside the Olympia cinema where the launch was taking place, with a crowd of fans looking on. Leaning on someone's arm, she walked about 20 metres (yards) towards the entrance, but with some difficulty, and then stopped before the TV cameras to say a few words about the AIDS benefit.

She then sat down in a chair to rest before climbing back into the car, looking tired but with a smile on her face.

"We do not have the slightest alarming information," said a spokesman for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR), which is organising the AIDS benefit. "She is scheduled to attend the dinner ... We have no report of her seeking medical help."
A total of 150 guests attended the celebrity bash in Mougins to raise money for AmFAR, founded by Taylor but now headed by Sharon Stone.

The party, a traditional fixture at the Cannes film festival currently underway and where a table costs between 25,000 to 100,000 dollars, is one of the most exclusive on the Riviera.

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Bob Geldof heads back to Ethiopia
nearly 20 years after landmark trip

Britain's Prime minister Tony Blair (r) greets rock stars Bono of U2 (l) and Sir Bob Geldof (c) in
Downing Street in London, 22 May, 2003. Bono and Geldof met with Blair and International Development Secretary Baroness Amos for a working breakfast on Thursday to discuss progress on the action plan for Africa ahead of the G8 Summit in Evian. AFP PHOTO / Roger ALLEN

GENEVA (AFP) Rock star Bob Geldof next week returns to Ethiopia for the first time since his landmark visit to the drought-stricken country nearly 20 years ago, the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF said.

Geldof plans to highlight the humanitarian crisis threatening some 14 million people, mostly children, that stems from drought, flood, malnutrition, child diseases and HIV/AIDS, a statement said.

He kicks off the five-day trip, in conjuction with UNICEF, in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, and plans to visit UNICEF projects for children, as well as to speak to government officials.

Geldof is a former member of the Boomtown Rats and as the organiser of Band Aid raised millions of pounds (dollars/euros) for the starving in Africa in the 1980s. He first visited Ethiopia in 1984.

Bjorn Ljungqvuist, UNICEF's representative in Ethiopia, said the situation now was more complex than the drought crisis two decades ago, and that Geldof's trip would draw attention to the "new mix of challenges".

"This time it is compounded by HIV/AIDS, which has weakened medical systems and coping ability at the family level," the UNICEF official said in a written statement.

Geldof's itinerary also includes visits to water projects, AIDS counselling centres for young people and UNICEF-backed therapeutic feeding centres in the south of the country.

As well as the immediate needs, he will focus on longer-term solutions.

Ethiopia is one of the world's five poorest countries, with an estimated gross national income of 100 dollars a year per person, the UN Children's Fund said.

One in two children in Ethiopia suffers from chronic stunting, and many die from preventable diseases.

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Overseas News

Euro hits new historic high against dollar

By Daniel Rook

LONDON (AFP) The euro soared to a new historic high against the dollar on Tuesday, 27 May though there were few champagne corks popping in the 12-nation euro zone, where exporters are already hurting from the strength of the single currency.

The euro rose to as high as 1.1914 dollars in Asia trading, beating its previous all-time peak of 1.1899 dollars reached a few days after it was launched at the start of 1999.

The single European currency later stood at 1.1905 dollars midway through the European trading session, against 1.1856 late on Monday, 26 May in New York.

The euro has now rebounded by about 45 percent from a record low of 0.8230 dollars plumbed in October 2000, having been fixed at 1.1665 dollars on December 31, 1998 just ahead of its debut on the world currency markets.

But the rapid rise of the single currency is not so much a vote of confidence in the euro-zone economies as a reflection of concerns about the United States and its large budget and current account deficits, analysts said.

"We've got a situation in which there's a rebalancing where the world thought the US was fantastic and now they're seeing the US as just another economy," said HSBC currency strategist David Bloom.

The higher levels of interest rates in the euro zone than in the United States are attracting financial inflows, while recent comments from US officials suggest a relaxation of Washington's policy of favouring a strong dollar.

But with euro-zone heavyweight Germany mired in recession and the euro area as a whole at a near standstill, some economists say the resurgent single European currency is the last thing the euro area needs.

"The euro-zone economy had the advantage over five, six, seven years that the export sector was always a pillar of growth and the export sector will no longer be the pillar of growth," said BNP Paribas economist Hans Redeker.

The euro rally has offset the positive effect of interest rate cuts in recent years by the European Central Bank (ECB), which is under pressure to loosen monetary policy again when its policymakers meet on June 5, analysts said.

"You could actually take the view that monetary conditions nowadays, despite the rate cuts that we have seen over the past one and a half years, are tighter than they used to be one and a half years ago," said Redeker.

But the firm euro could have some positive affects on the euro-zone economies, notably by helping to stoke up the US engine of global economic growth and by bearing down on inflation and input costs such as the price of oil.

The euro's rally could also provide an incentive for the euro-zone governments to implement reforms in areas such as the labour market to try to make their economies more efficient, though the short term costs are expected to deter progress on this front, say economists.

Bloom said the stronger euro "will increase the talk of reform, but don't forget if you put actual reform in, you create higher unemployment rates and more cyclical pain at a time when the present politicians may say that Europe can ill afford it."
And having hit a new record zenith, the euro still has higher to climb, economists said.

"The sky's the limit," said Bloom. "This is the beginning of the bear market for the dollar, which is still being propped up by massive intervention around the world ... yet it continues to go lower."

The euro was changing hands at 1.1905 dollars from 1.1856 late on Monday in New York, 138.94 yen (138.56), 0.7250 pounds (0.7231) and 1.5290 Swiss francs (1.5274).

The dollar was being quoted at 116.86 yen (116.87) and 1.2863 Swiss francs (1.2883).

The pound was at 1.6410 dollars (1.6395), 191.66 yen (191.60) and 2.1098 Swiss francs (2.1122).

On the London Bullion Market, the price of an ounce of gold stood at 372.85 dollars from 370.50 on the afternoon of
Monday, 26 May.

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British MP demands security probe into 11,500 missing passports

Opposition Liberal Democrat, Paul Burstow

LONDON (AFP) A British member of parliament (MP) demanded an enquiry on Sunday into the disappearance of thousands of passports, which he warned could have fallen into the hands of terrorists.

Opposition Liberal Democrat spokesman Paul Burstow made the demand after the government admitted that 11,500 passports had gone astray in the post over the past three years.

"Either there is incompetence on the part of Royal Mail sorting offices when they are delivering passports back to customers, or there is a black market trade in stolen passports," Burstow said.

"Basic preventative security measures, like registered mail, must be put in place to prevent identities falling into criminal or terrorist hands."

According to the figures provided by the government in a written response to a question from Burstow, 2,359 passports failed to arrive at their destinations in 1999, followed by 3,851 the following year, 2,541 in 2001 and 2,982 last year.

Britain's Home Office, or interior ministry, confirmed the figures but said they represented a small fraction of the 5.5 million passports issued on average each year.

The revelations come amid a tightening of security around British government buildings, institutions and landmarks, which has seen concrete blocks set up around the Houses of Parliament to thwart possible bombing attempts.

The British embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was closed to the public on May 20 due to an "imminent" threat, officials said.

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New US police supremo rules out quick fix for Baghdad crime

Bernard Kerik, former commissioner with the New York City Police Department

BAGHDAD (AFP) - The new US policing supremo for Iraq, Bernard Kerik, ruled out any military quick fix for Baghdad's post-war crime wave and said the only answer was to gradually restore confidence in the Iraqi police.

"To add a whole bunch of (US) military personnel is not the solution," the former New York police commissioner told his first press conference since taking up the post of senior adviser to the interior ministry last week.

"The only answer is to identify where the crime is," and concentrate police resources there to apprehend the criminals, he said.
That required Iraqis to respect their own police force, which could only be won back by weeding out officers guilty of past brutality or corruption, and massive retraining to eliminate abuses which were the norm during the 24 years of Saddam Hussein's rule.
"Policing over the years in Baghdad has been oppressive, that has to change," said Kerik.

"We have to make sure that (policing) complies with international rules and human rights. That was not how it was done in the past.

"We have to make sure that the police understand that the days of torture during interrogation or interview are no longer."
Kerik said there could be no room in the police for those responsible for past abuses although he acknowledged that in the short term "some" might "slip through the cracks."

"Is it a foolproof process? No. But it has to be done, it is going to be done."

Kerik, best known for his role in the "zero tolerance" clampdown of 1990s New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, said the most important thing was to get officers out on the street and regaining the trust of ordinary people.

"This is something we have to work on. We have to allow Iraqi police to interact with their own people ... It is a matter of confidence."

He said Iraqi officers were already going out on patrol with US military police and more would soon be joining them.
"Some have been armed with AK-47s ... That will grow as time goes on."

Kerik said Iraqi police had to be taught the importance of going out on the beat after years of sitting around in their stations awaiting orders from superiors or tip-offs from informers.

"This is a difficult process. It is going to take time because their concept of policing is not ours."
He said a national police academy was being set up, which would not only offer basic courses for new policemen and refresher courses for those being kept on, but also courses for future Iraqi trainers.

Kerik, who has also advised the Mexican government on the crime problems of Mexico City, insisted the degree of looting and lawlessness in Baghdad was not as severe as he had been led to believe.

"I have been all over the city by night and I'm still alive," he said.

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Murder, AIDS among leading killers in S. Africa

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) Murder, AIDS, tuberculosis and road accidents account for more than half of South Africa's premature deaths, a media report said.

The Sunday Independent newspaper said a report by the government-funded Medical Research Council (MRC) found AIDS accounted for 39 percent of all premature deaths in 2000, the last one for which full data were available, with murders accounting for 7.5 percent, tuberculosis for 5 percent and road accidents for 4.1 percent. "The rates for these causes of deaths are exceedingly high compared with estimates for any other region of the world," the newspaper quoted the report as saying.
Debbie Bradshaw, the head of the MRC's burden of disease research unit, said South Africa's history of institutionalised violence and inequality played a role in the figures.

"We also know that societies in transition tend to have high levels of violence and injury rates," she said.

The report said tuberculosis, pneumonia, and diarrhoea were the most common indicator conditions that caused AIDS deaths and "are often reflected as the cause of the death without reference to HIV".

The report said the police and the transport ministry had radically underestimated the number of murders and road deaths in South Africa.

The police estimate that there were 21,683 murders in 2000, while the transport ministry estimates that there were 7,635 road accident fatalities.

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New York to allow Sunday liquor sales

NEW YORK (UPI) For the first time since Prohibition, liquor stores in New York can open on Sunday.

"Finally after years of inconvenience, New York consumers, tourists and retailers are no longer shackled by this antiquated Blue Law," said Peter Cressy, president of the Distilled Spirits Council.

The law allows wine and liquor stores owners to be open six days per week permitting them to choose which one day per week to be closed.

"With Sunday being the second busiest shopping day of the week, we strongly anticipate that many will not want to miss out on the business," Cressy said. Cressy added that the council told lawmakers that permitting retailers to open on Sundays would help generate $26.7 million from new sales as well as recaptured sales that were being lost to neighboring states that permit Sunday sales.

New York now becomes the 26th state to allow Sunday liquor sales at retail outlets. Earlier this month, Gov. Ruth Ann Minner signed Sunday alcohol sales in to law in Delaware.

William R. Latham, an economist at the University of Delaware, said Sunday sales in Delaware are expected to generate $2 million in new tax revenue for the state.

Cressy said many states, including Rhode Island, Connecticut and Washington, are reconsidering eliminating their Blue Laws as a way to raise much needed revenue without having to raise taxes.

The State Liquor Authority, which licenses and polices the New York state's liquor stores, gave them approval to open every Sunday between 12 p.m. and 9 p.m., in accordance with a new law the Legislature approved May 15.

The SLA said stores opening Sunday would eventually have to provide the agency with documentation indicating the day they will be closed, and obtain a new license.

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Overseas Feature

European Union constitution unveiled

By Gareth Harding, UPI Chief European Correspondent

Valery Giscard d'Estaing

Peter Hain

BRUSSELS (UPI) -- The proposed EU constitution, which was unveiled on Monday 26 May, and to be considered by EU leaders next month, calls for an elected president and the post of foreign minister to represent the union internationally, and a binding bill
of rights.

The document, drawn up by a 105-member committee led by former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, calls for the European Union's six-month rotating presidency to be replaced by an EU president, elected from the current batch of heads of state for two and a half years. He also favors creating the post of EU foreign minister to represent the bloc on the world stage
Perhaps as important, at least to the British, was that the document does not use the term "federal" and the European Union will not be renamed "United Europe" or the "United States of Europe."

Welsh Secretary Peter Hain, who represents Britain on the 105-member convention, said the draft text showed London had made "good progress" in influencing the proposals.

"We are burying once and for all the fantasies of a Brussels super-state. Europe will remain a union of sovereign nation states with governments such as Britain's in charge," he said.

However, the opposition Conservative Party which wants a referendum on any future EU constitution said the draft constitution was still "unacceptable" and would "sign away crucial areas of national competence" to Brussels.

Giscard d'Estaing's blueprint, which will be debated by convention members Friday and Saturday, aims to define 'who does what?' in a Union that is set to almost double in size over the next four years.

The proposed constitution calls for the EU's 6-month rotating presidency to be replaced by an EU president, elected from the current batch of heads of state for a 2-1/2-year term. It also favors creating the post of EU foreign minister to represent the bloc on the world stage.

Giscard d'Estaing's power-sharing proposals have gone down well with larger member states, such as Britain, France, Italy and Spain, but are fiercely opposed by smaller states, the European Commission and the European Parliament.

More popular among delegates to the Brussels-based body, which has been compared to the Constitutional Convention, which gave birth to the United States, are proposals aimed at boosting the bloc's foreign policy powers.

In a nod to the recent splits over Iraq, the draft text unveiled Monday calls on members to "actively and unreservedly support the Union's common foreign and security policy in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity."

It also commits the 15 members to come to each other's defense in the event of terrorist attack.

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Whitney Houston in Israel to record with polygamous sect

US singer Whitney Houston

JERUSALEM (AFP) US pop diva Whitney Houston arrived in Israel's southern Negev desert on Sunday, 25 May to make a recording with the polygamous Black Hebrew sect, Israel army radio reported.

Houston, who arrived with her husband and former singer Bobby Brown and their children, travelled straight to the desert town of Dimona, which is home to the 2,000-strong sect and renowned for being the site of an Israeli nuclear plant.
"I love you all!" she shouted as crowds of fans met her in the remote desert town.

Elders of the Black Hebrews said Houston would be recording a track about Israel with several members of the community, which is known for its choirs and singing groups.

The visit was also aimed at sending a message to African Americans that Israel was a safe place to travel to, they added.
Known as the Original African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem, the Black Hebrews believe they are descended from one of the lost ten tribes of Israel as mentioned in the Bible.

Strict dietary laws forbid the consumption of meat and polygamy is permitted

The group first came to Israel in 1969, and since then, members have earned a living through their celebrated professional gospel choir and rhythm and blues singing troupes.

Two members of the community even represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1999.

They are also renowned for the brightly-colored clothing they make, and for the vegetarian food they produce at a factory in the area.

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News From Our Region

St. Lucia Officials Concerned Over AIDS Rate

HIV/AIDS rates are growing rapidly in St. Lucia, especially among women. That's according to a recent situational response analysis of the disease done on the island.

The report found that over the past five years there has been an increase in HIV/AIDS cases among St. Lucian women and while more men are infected with the disease, a higher proportion of women die from it. The report has St. Lucia's health officials alarmed.

The St. Lucia Star quoted Nahum Jn Baptiste, director of the national AIDS/HIV program, as saying the analysis covered the period 1985, when St Lucia registered its first AIDS case, to 2001. Statistics indicate that between 1985 and the end of 2002, 377 HIV cases were reported. Of these, 192 developed full-blown AIDS.

Among youth aged 15 to 24, 39 cases of HIV were reported, 11 were male, 25 female and three unknown. While the numbers may seem small, consider that the island is only home to over 160,000 people, according to the CIA World Fact Book.
St. Lucia's information service quoted Physician and AIDS advocate Dr. Marie Grandison-Didier as saying that the disease is especially prevalent among the young female population.

"Young females are vulnerable because one they often begin their sexual activity with males who are much older than them and those males are sexually experienced and come to these relationships already carrying STDs which make them more prone to picking up.

HIV if it is present there," explained Dr. Didier. "And also because when these males come to those females sometimes they are already infected. There are a lot of social and monetary things going on there. A lot of these young girls enter those relationships because there is a benefit to them, a benefit in terms of monetary assistance."

Dr. Didier blamed economic problems as attributing to more women contracting the disease. Women in dire economic straits would resort to whatever means necessary to feed herself and family whether those means are safe or not, said the doctor. She added that if the HIV/AIDS disease is to be tackled, the economic factors spurring the spread of the disease need to be confronted as well.

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St. Maarteen's main party win majority seats

St. Maarten's Democratic Party in the Dutch Caribbean is the winner of legislative elections held there last week, according to official results released Saturday.

The Associated Press reported that the party won six of 11 seats on the Island Council while the opposition National Alliance won four and newcomer, People's Progressive Party, one. The Democratic Party says it will now begin to push for greater say in its affairs and wants to win the support of Curacao before pushing for independence from the Netherlands.

"The time for politics is over," Democratic Party leader Sarah Wescott-Williams said. "We have to get to work."

The power of the Island Council is currently limited. It passes ordinances and approves spending for public works, public housing and schools. It also has more clout with the central Parliament in Curacao and ultimately with the Netherlands. An ongoing complaint has been that St. Maarten which is the tiniest landmass in the world shared by two countries contributes a large amount to the Netherlands Antilles government and does not get its fair share of government money in return.

Eighty percent of St. Maarten's 45,000 residents are foreigners. Lt. Gov. Franklyn Richards told AP, 10,721 people voted.
Three years ago, 57 percent of St. Maarten's voters said they wanted to break from the regional government in Curacao as Aruba did years ago but the Dutch government said no.

If Holland continues to refuse, the next step could be to go to the United Nations Decolonization Committee.

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Guyana rice farmers disgruntled with Caricom

Rice farmers in the South American nation of Guyana say Caricom must act quickly and decisively to save the sector. The farmers comments came at a recent meeting of the Guyana Rice Producers Association, the Guyana Chronicle reported. The disgruntled group accused Caricom of "pussyfooting" in its attempts to protect the Caribbean industry from subsided imports.
They say this hesitation threatens the region's food security and urged the body to act decisively to save the sector and to meet the challenges of the world rice industry by embracing " a regime of active co-operation."

A release from the body said that competition from subsidised rice, especially that which is imported from the USA and, to a lesser extent, from Thailand, results in a 50 percent loss in market share in the English-speaking Caribbean. "This is equivalent to a loss of more than US$22M per year, which is much needed revenue in an industry fighting to provide and promote food security in the region," RPA executives said.

The RPA members also point to the disparity in the Common External Tariff (CET) on rice, which is set at 25 percent while the CET on all other agricultural commodities, including sugar, is set at 40 percent.

The stakeholders also say that the non-implementation of a number of initiatives, which were put forward to the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) and which date back some three years, are to be blamed for the sector's problems.
"The time for us to act is now, especially since we are involved with negotiations at the level of the WTO, FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) and ACP/EU. Otherwise all we would be doing is importing rather than producing, a policy that is fraught with grave consequences for our regional Food Security," the statement said. "After accepting the principle that there is need for such a mechanism to support the industry, delaying tactics are used to stall the implementation mechanism..."

Rice production in Guyana contributes approximately 13 percent of the country's GDP and the industry benefits an estimated 20 percent of the nation's entire population both directly and indirectly, the RPA said.

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Sports

Serena streaks through

US Star Serena Williams hits a backhand to her German opponent Barbara Rittner, 26 May 2003 in Paris, during their Roland-Garros French Tennis Open first round match.AFP PHOTO/Jacques DEMARTHON

By Chris Wright

PARIS (AFP) Defending champion Serena Williams gave every sign she intends to make a successful title defence when the American streaked into the second round of the French Open with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Barbara Rittner of Germany.
Rittner stayed with her rival until 2-2 in the opening set but Williams, having made a slew of early unforced errors, then streaked away and wrapped up the set in 30min with an ace.

Rittner did not help her own cause as she served up three double faults.

Williams opened up with a break of serve in the second set and swiftly raced 4-0 clear before wrapping up the win in just 53min.
The 21-year-old from Michigan next faces either last year's junior champion Angelique Widjaja of Indonesia or Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian of Switzerland.

"It's nice to be out there where all the magic began last year," said Serena, who beat elder sister Venus in last year's final and then went on to land Wimbledon and the US Open.

"It's nice to have all the fans cheering me out there.

"I feel like I'm where I'd like to be."

Joining Serena in the second round was home hope Emilie Loit, who dumped out Russian 29th seed Elena Likhovtseva 6-3, 6-2 to set up a meeting with either Colombia's Fabiola Zulaga or Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn.

There was an early minor shock among the men, meanwhile, when experienced 49th-ranked Slovak Dominik Hrbaty ousted tenth-seeded Thai Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 while Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta beat Spain's Jose Feliciano, 6-2, 7-6, 6-0.

Having already captured the Australian Open title this season Serena is now chasing a fifth straight Grand Slam crown.
But she came to Paris after showing some mixed form in recent weeks following losses to Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium in Charleston and France's Amelie Mauresmo in Rome.

Both players lie squarely in Serena's path if she is to make the final this year.

Fifth seed Mauresmo is the American's potential quarter-final opponent while Henin-Hardenne is her potential semi-final rival.
Once she had reacquainted herself with the Philippe Chatrier centre court, Williams gave 87th-ranked Rittner not even the whiff of a chance of an upset as she bludgeoned down a steady stream of winners, shugging off slightly breezy if sunny conditions.
Men's fifth seed Roger Federer of Switzerland followed Williams onto the main show court to take on Peru's Luis Horna while women's fifth seed and Mauresmo was later meeting compatriot Virginie Razzano hoping to avoid her 2001 fate when she came into the tournament on hot form but crashed straight out to Germany's Jana Kandarr.

Andre Agassi, the 1999 men's champion and second seed this time round, had an evening match against Karol Beck of Slovakia.
Back among the women, Belgium's fourth seed Henin-Hardenne was taking on Patricia Wartusch of Austria.

Former men's champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov was later meeting Frenchman Julien Boutter before 2000 women's champion Mary Pierce of France went head to head with Clarisa Fernandez, Argentina's 28th seed.

Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuttler of Germany, seeded 11, was taking on Cecil Mamiit of the United States.

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Ronaldo's bad news for world defenders

World and European Player of the Year Ronaldo, second from left with his former wife Milene, during their visit on 23 July, 2002 is greeted by Cayman soccer great Renard Moxam, during his visit to Cayman last year. Others in photo are Jeff Webb (third from left) Cayman Islands Football Association president, and Seresh Persad

PARIS (AFP) World and European Player of the Year Ronaldo has bad news for defenders. He cannot see the day he wants to hang up his boots.

The 26-year-old Brazil striker celebrated his 10 years as a professional footballer last Saturday with a two-goal display against Valencia that put Real Madrid one point behind leaders Real Sociedad in the Spanish championship.

And he said on his personal website Monday he was looking forward to a long future.

Ronaldo was just 16 years old when he made his debut for Rio De Janeiro side Cruzeiro in the Brazilian championship on May 25, 1993.

He was nicknamed Ronaldinho then and in 10 years has become soccer's best player.

"I hope I will have a long future ahead," he said.

And as long as he is happy playing he plans to carry on terrorising defences.

It was a Ronaldo hat-trick that knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League but an injury prevented him from getting to grips with the Italians defenders when Juventus eliminated the European holders in the semi-finals.

Ronaldo's goals won a fifth World Cup for Brazil last year when he capped a tremendous comeback from a serious knee injury that had threatened to end his career.

He has scored 26 goals for Real this season - 19 in the Liga and six in the Champions League and one in the Intercontinental Cup - since Real paid Inter Milan 45 million dollars for him.

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Arsenal's Vieira rules out Man United move

LONDON (AFP) Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira has ruled out a move to Manchester United and insisted he will commit his future to the Gunners.

The French midfielder told Sky TV Monday he was prepared to sign a five-year contract with the London club.

Asked if he would stay at Arsenal, the 26-year-old Vieira said: "Of course I will stay here.

"That's what I want, and I hope that when I come back everything will be okay for me to sign a new contract."

United manager Alex Ferguson has made no secret of his admiration for Vieira, and has been linked with a record-breaking move for the World Cup winner.

But Vieira said he would play for no other English club.

"It's hard to see myself playing for any other team than Arsenal. I always said that if I had to leave Arsenal, I would go abroad," he said.

"I have respect for the club, the manager and the players, but I really don't see myself in Manchester."

But he would not rule out a move to a club like Real Madrid.

"You never know. The exciting thing about football is you never know what's going to happen," he said.

"But if you ask me now, I'll tell you no chance, because I would love to stay at Arsenal and want to stay at Arsenal.

"If we find a contract and were both happy with everything, I will sign for the club, four, five years, that's no problem at all for me."

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Primary schools hold awards ceremony

West Bay footballers pose with CEO Mrs. Nyda Flately as they show off the championship trophy.

Reneisha Pearson of East End Primary receives the B league netball trophy from Education officer Herbert Crawford.

It was an exciting afternoon for many young primary school sports stars at the Mary Miller Hall, Red Bay, on Saturday 24 May.
The occasion was the ceremony for the presentation of trophies and medals for several competitions held on the school calendar during the past year.

John A. Cumber Primary (West Bay) was well represented at the presentation ceremony and this was not surprising since they were the winners of one of the most prestigious titles in primary school sport, the football A league championship. St. Ignatius Catholic placed second in this competition and Bodden Town third.

George Town won the B league for the second consecutive year, playing unbeaten over two seasons. Triple C took second place and West Bay third.

Savannah primary won the A league championship in Netball while George Town and Cayman Prep tied for second place.

East End Primary captured the B league championship followed by Savannah. Red Bay and George Town tied for third position.

Catholic and Red Bay shared the title in the soccer championship for girls. Savannah ended in third position.

Trophies and medals were also presented for the 2002 cricket competition won by Red Bay. Second place went to Bodden Town.

The presentations were made by Chief Education Officer Mrs. Nyda Flatley and Education officer Mr. Herbert Crawford. Physical Education teacher Mr. Ronnie Roach performed the role of Master of Ceremonies. Physical education teachers Harcourt Wason and Philip Hackett as well as Red Bay teacher Cerrone Glasgow assisted with the presentation.

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C&W Primary School cricket action: Bodden Town, St. Ignatius, Cayman Prep and Red Bay all win

Justin Wright of Cayman Prep struck the first half century of the tournament.

Dalton Watler Jr. was in good form with bat and ball for St. Ignatius.

Bodden Town pulled off an exciting one run victory over George Town in a breathtaking climax when the Cable & Wireless Primary School cricket competition continued at the Smith Road Oval on Friday 23 May.

Bodden Town fell for 70 in 14.2 overs and dismissed George Town for 69 in 17.2 overs.

Top scorer for Bodden Town was Giovanni Solomon who clobbered two sixes in a brief but valuable innings of 14. Charlo McClean struck one boundary in scoring 12.

George Town's medium pacer Jason Christian continued his good form with the ball taking four for 16. Dale Parker hauled in three for 20 and Shano Evans, the team captain, two for 12.

The situation seemed hopeless for George Town at 40 for seven, but there was some lower order resistance, particularly from Evans and Emmanuel Brown. Leg spinner Jamie Solomon removed Evans, Bodden Town captain Luigi Hernandez bowled Robert Thompson and then new ball bowler Andrew Jackson had number 11 batsman Ramon Walton caught by Corie Moore to spark celebrations in the Bodden Town camp.

Solomon took four for 19, McClean three for 15 and Jackson two for 15.

St. Ignatius Catholic cruised to their third victory in as many matches by defeating Savannah by seven wickets. Savannah scored 56 for seven in 20 overs to which Catholic replied with 58 for three. Chris Jackson led the scoring for Savannah with 17.

Dominique Williams took two for eight, Dalton Watler Jr. two for 17 and Deagan McLaughlin two for 11. Watler's unbeaten 18 was the best score for Catholic. Nicholas Moore made 12.

Cayman Prep benefited from several dropped chances to pull off a 35 run win against North East at the John Gray High School. Prep scored 116 for nine off 20 overs, mainly due to the efforts of Justin Wright who slammed two sixes and four fours in a breezy inning of 50. Codie McLaughlin was easily the most impressive North East bowler with five for seven off five overs. When North East batted, McLaughlin scored 21 to help the team reply with a spirited 81 in 15 overs. Wright had an excellent all-round performance capturing four for 29, while Matthew Pellow took four for 28.

Red Bay and West Bay produced a high scoring encounter at West Bay. Andrew Perrin struck an entertaining 33 to pace the home team to a challenging 106 for six in 20 overs. Dillon Ebanks scored 19. Sylvester Suberan took four for 16.

Suberan was also among the runs when Red Bay batted. His stylish 32 was laced with six boundaries. Opener Raheem Robinson hammered seven boundaries in an unbeaten 40 as Red Bay cruised home in 15 overs at 109 for four.

Catholic is leading Zone A with six points, followed by Triple C with 4, then West Bay and Red Bay with 2 each. The improving Savannah team is yet to win a match.

Bodden Town is at the top of Zone B with 4 points. George Town and Prep are tied on 2 points. North East, a combination of North Side and East End has had good talent on display but has not won as yet.

Two teams from each zone will advance to the semifinals scheduled for Friday 13 June.

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Try-outs for under-19 cricket tournament underway

Twenty-two players have been selected to try-out for the Cayman Islands Under-19 cricket team that will participate in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Americas Tournament in Toronto from 12-20 July.

Of those trying out, 13 players will be selected by 5 June to make the trip to Canada.

Other countries participating in the tournament are Argentina, Bermuda, Canada and the USA, with the winner going on to represent the region in the Youth World Cup next year.

Practice sessions are scheduled for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:30 pm at the Smith Road Oval.

Those selected for the try-outs are Marlon Bryan, Omar Bryan, Marc Chin, Paul Chin, Gregory Ebanks, Jason Ebanks, Matthew Ebanks, Ryan Ebanks, Vincent Ebanks, Jon Andrew Japal, Daniel Kirkconnell, Joseph Kirkconnell, Jalon Linton, Carl Morgan, Carlos Morgan, Edward Powell, William Quin, Ricardo Roach, Troy Taylor, Alan Wight, Nicholas Wight and Omar Willis.

Edward Powell is making his return to cricket after a three-year absence. "Edward is considered one of the most gifted cricketers in his age group," said Coach Theo Cuffy, "He is making his return to the game fired by his burning desire to test himself amongst the region's best."

Other coaches for the squad are Chris Wight and Andy Myles. Senior cricketers are invited to assist whenever possible.

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Sports Summary

Sport Summary

Welsh lock Chris Wyatt.

Wales call up lock Wyatt for Down Under Tour

CARDIFF (AFP) Wales coach Steve Hansen has called up Llanelli lock Chris Wyatt for next month's tour to Australia and New Zealand.

The 29-year-old replaces Pontypridd's Michael Owen, who has been forced to pull out with knee ligament damage.

Wyatt, capped 33 times, won his first honour as a replacement against Zimbabwe on the summer tour to southern Africa in 1998 and last played for Wales as a replacement against Scotland in April last year.

"We wanted to have another middle-of-the-line jumper and that's why we went for Chris. This is a real opportunity for him," Hansen said.

Thirty-four Chinese athletes fail drug tests in 2002

BEIJING (AFP) Thirty-four athletes from China, the 2008 Olympic host, tested positive to drugs last year, 11 more than in 2001, state press reported last week.

They included Liu Huyuan, one of the nation's top men's distance runners, and Lin Na, who won the women's 800m and 1,500m titles at China's 9th National Games in 2001, the Xinhua news agency said.

Fourteen of the doping offenders were weightlifters and 10 were from track and field events.

No swimmers were among those caught, although it was not clear from what disciplines the remaining 10 who failed tests were from.

"To our surprise, more or less, not a single swimmer turned out positive
last year."

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