CTMar2008.qxd 3/6/08 6:03 PM Page 1 PRESORTED MARCH 2008 STANDARD ® U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIAMI, FL PERMIT NO. 7315 Tel: (305) 238-2868 1-800-605-7516 [email protected] [email protected] W e cover your world Vol. 19 No. 4 Jamaica: 654-7282 THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING NEWS MAGAZINE Caribbean and other nation- als arriving at some major MARLEY MAGIC United States airports must now have all 10 fingers electronically printed as part of a new Homeland Security program to nab criminals and bolster air- port security, page 2. Caribbean leaders have hailed the contributions of outgoing Cuban President Fidel Ruiz Castro. The 81-year-old leader said that he would not return American actor Danny Glover, left, was so impressed by the work of Caribbean-born music as commander-in-chief follow- legend Bob Marley, he helped make “Africa Unite”, a movie about the reggae icon. In this ing a session of the National issue Glover tells Caribbean Today about Marley’s influence, page 7. Assembly last month, page 7. Shalrie Joseph and ‘I was fearful at least a dozen players with strong for my life’ Caribbean roots are Fitzroy Salesman, a Jamaica-born gearing up suspended Miramar city commissioner, for another pleaded not guilty in a Florida court season in Major League during arraignment on a charge he Soccer, the game’s highest professional level in the pulled a handgun on a fellow United States, which kicks off supermarket shopper, page 6. its 2008 season this later this month, page 19. CALL CARIBBEAN TODAY DIRECT FROM JAMAICA 654-7282 INSIDE News........................................2 Health ....................................11 Business................................16 Sport ......................................19 Feature ....................................7 Food........................................12 Arts/Entertainment ..............17 Region....................................20 Viewpoint................................9 Tourism/Travel......................13 FYI ..........................................18 Politics ..................................22 CTMar2008.qxd 3/6/08 6:03 PM Page 2 2 CARIBBEAN TODAY March 2008 www.caribbeantoday.com NEWS Caribbean nationals face tougher Caribbean calls for elimination fingerprint rule at U.S. airports of violence against women MIAMI - Caribbean and other Miami. tor is wanted on any domestic UNITED NATIONS – A firmed the “positive impact of nationals arriving at some The procedure is manda- or international criminal senior Antigua and Barbuda investment” on the lives of major United States airports tory for those aged 14 to 79, charges. government minister has women on national productiv- must now have all 10 fingers but is not required for U.S. Previously, visitors were called for the elimination of ity and development. electronically printed as part citizens, she said. required to have prints taken of violence against women, say- Quinn-Leandro said “gen- of a new Homeland Security only their right and left index ing it is inconsistent with the der-responsive budgeting” is a program to nab criminals and SCANS fingers, but security officials Millennium Development particularly important mecha- bolster airport security. Effective last month, as said that procedure had gaps Goals (MDGs). nism in the planning and eval- Officials say the new foreign visitors go through allowing criminals to escape Antigua and Barbuda’s uation of financing for gender measure is now being adopted passport undetected, Connors said. Minister of Labour, Public equality and women’s empow- at the Miami International control Even so, she said the lim- Administration and erment, stating and Orlando airports in at the ited fingerprinting process Empowerment Jacqui Quinn- that it has Florida and a number of U.S. identified prompted federal agencies to Leandro joined Haiti in outlin- been identified cities, including Atlanta, airports, nab about 6,000 suspects last ing their positions at the 52nd as a “crucial Boston, Massachusetts they year at Miami International session of the United Nations’ tool” for Washington and Chicago. must Airport. Commission on the Status of achieving the They said that within a place Frequently, there were Women last month. MDGs. year, the same procedure will both people who committed a Speaking on behalf of the “Such be required of Caribbean and hands - crime in the U.S., left the “Group of 77” developing budgeting other foreign visitors passing separate- country and changed their countries and China, Quinn- should not Quinn-Leandro through the Fort Lauderdale- ly - on electronic scanners identities. They were inter- Leandro said human develop- only focus on Hollywood and Palm Beach similar to those banks use for cepted when they returned, ment and growth “that are expenditures, International airports in identity verification. Officials Connors said. sustainable” must involve the but also provide systematic Florida. said the scanners allow cus- “It happens every single participation and contribution planning regarding govern- “We’re going to do this toms agents to verify that a day; we pick up people with of all people. ment allocation of financial nationwide,” said Jennifer visitor’s identity matches the outstanding warrants,” she “A few of the challenges resources through the imple- Connors, chief officer of the information on his or her said. to mainstreaming gender mentation of national pro- U.S. Customs and Border passport. They also alert vari- equality and women’s empow- grams. Protection agency, based in ous federal agencies if a visi- ® erment include the feminiza- “With all that, some tion of poverty, lack of access developing countries, facing to resources, few women on huge obstacles, such as debt U.S. legislator vows clampdown financial and economic boards burdens and trade imbalances, and the inadequate financing are unable to allocate suffi- of programs that affected the cient resources to programs of Caribbean offshore tax havens lives of women,” she said. dedicated to women’s empow- On the work of the com- erment,” Quinn-Leandro WASHINGTON - A United Investigations. Summit on the Caribbean last mission, she said that, by col- added. States lawmaker has vowed to Last year, Levin, Senator June, raised the issue with lectively reviewing challenges President of the U.N. further clamp down on Norm Coleman and U.S. lawmakers on Capitol related to financing gender Economic and Social Council Caribbean offshore tax shel- Democratic Presidential hope- Hill. CARICOM leaders were empowerment and by sharing (ECOSOC), Leo Merores, said ters, claiming that they cost ful Barack Obama introduced assured that the proposed best practices on the mecha- violence against women is part the U.S. Treasury over $100 a bill in the US Senate aimed clamp down would come to nisms and processes involved of “a systematic discrimination, billion annu- at cracking down on tax eva- naught. in that effort, the commission a heinous violation of women’s ally. sion schemes in offshore shel- “We were given the assur- could make an “important human rights and a major Michigan ters in the Cayman Islands ance that the bill that is cur- contribution to the design of obstacle to development.” Democratic and other Caribbean islands. rently written, the experts Senator Carl “There’s a lot of money have all agreed that it is inad- policies and programs aimed Merores said he intends Levin said involved,” Levin said. equate for what is required at bridging the gap between to use the reformed council to that an inves- “We’ve got people paying and that the positions in rela- policy and practice.” promote gender equality and tigative panel taxes in this country who are tion to the Caribbean, which women’s empowerment. he heads middle-income, working fami- are deleterious to the IMPACT would stay lies and, at the same time, Caribbean interest, would not, She said studies have con- ® focused on Levin people avoiding paying taxes in their judgment, see the light the matter, who are making millions of of day,” St. Vincent and the hoping that it will get more dollars a year. Grenadines’ Prime Minister Worry over large number of Vincentians attention in the current U.S. “The public knows about Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the then presidential campaign. it. They’re unhappy with it,” CARICOM chairman, told seeking refugee status in Canada “We’re after offshore tax he said. reporters in Washington. TORONTO – A senior St. “These often result in havens and their use in tax Gonsalves viewed the Vincent and the Grenadines subsequent deportation orders avoidance, where they serve EFFECTS development as “very posi- diplomat says he is concerned against the applicants,” he no economic purpose except Fearing the adverse effects tive” for the region. at what appears to be an inor- said, stating that the consulate to avoid taxes,” said Levin, on their respective economies, dinate large number of nation- general continues to “strongly who chairs the Senate Caribbean community (CARI- ® als seeking refugee status in discourage and vigorously Permanent Subcommittee on COM) leaders during the Canada. pursues other avenues that Consul General Steve will educate and dishearten Phillips told the Caribbean our nationals against making Raul Castro is new president of Cuba Media Corporation (CMC) such claims.” that false refugee claims by HAVANA, Cuba, CMC – the govern- the communist Caribbean Vincentians were “possibly” DOUBLED Raul Castro is now the presi- ment since country. Fidel came to power the greatest threat to an oth- According to the latest dent of communist Cuba, July 2006, in 1959 after overthrowing the erwise “good” foreign rela- figures released by the replacing his brother Fidel when his Fulgencio Batista regime in a tionship with Canada. Canadian Immigration and who held power for nearly brother blood revolution. “Many of our people Refugee Board (IRB), half-century. underwent seeking to regularize their sta- refugee claims from the The 614-member National intestinal sur- • Call for lifting of U.S. tus in Canada are blindly led Commonwealth Caribbean Assembly elected Raul, 76, as gery. embargo against Cuba, see by unscrupulous immigration have doubled since 2000. the new president after a Fidel, 81, page 4.