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Monthly E- Magazine November 2013


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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: As the family of Antigua & Barbuda immigrant, Tiombe Carlos,

gets ready to lay her to rest this Friday, Nov. 15 in Philadelphia, some 23 days after she was found unresponsive in a cell at the York County Prison in Pennsylvania where she was an immigrant detainee, questions continue to swirl around her exact cause of death. Carlos was found unresponsive in her cell at the York County Prison on Oct. 23rd and was rushed to the York Hospital where she was pronounced dead that evening. The York County Coroner's Office has said an autopsy it performed led them to rule her death as suicide by hanging.

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Dead at the York County Prison: Antigua national, Tiombe Carlos!

But her family says they have yet to receive the autopsy report and the funeral home which is preparing the body for burial this Friday has said there was no scarring on Carlos’ neck. This has led to calls for an independent investigation by an agency; autonomous of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), especially since there have been several deaths by immigrants in detention in 2013 alone. Carlos, 35, and the mother of one, was in detention for nearly three years despite well-documented severe mental disability and repeated pleas for her release, according to rights group, Families for Freedom. An immigration judge had ordered Carlos to be deported back to Antigua on June 21, 2012, according to an ICE statement on October 23rd. … cont’d on page 3


The FFF says Carlos was unjustly detained and requests for her release so she could access private medical and mental treatment were ignored. Carlos was admitted to the United States in perfect mental and physical health as a lawful permanent resident 30 years ago, according to the FFF. After being admitted to the United States, she acquired a psychotic disorder and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at the age of 15. That diagnosis was apparently again verified by Physicians for Human Rights(PHR) in 2011, which recommended intense medical treatment and also suggested that Carlos be in the care of her family. In 2012, she reportedly underwent a Forensic Psych Evaluation conducted by the Headquarters Post-Order Custody Review Unit as part of the process for designation as a 241.14 case (“Continued detention of removable persons on account of special circumstances”) that would have determined her continued detention.

The FFF said her attorney and family persistently called on ICE to release her, Carlos was kept in detention where she was repeatedly bullied by detention facility guards. “We want to know if Ms. Carlos’ inadequate medical treatment and alleged guard abuse endured in ICE custody at the York County Prison were contributing factors to her death,” Families for Freedom said in a statement while calling for a report from ICE on York County Prison, investigating officer misconduct and treatment of detainees. “Ms. Carlos’ case is emblematic of all that is wrong with mandatory detention and a detention system that does not recognize our humanity and our unique circumstances,” the group added. “We will continue to fight together with Ms. Carlos’ family in search of crucial answers.” But an ICE spokesman told News Americas Wednesday that they have "initiated a comprehensive review of Ms. Carlos’ case and the circumstances surrounding her death but as a matter of policy, ICE will not be commenting on the specifics until this review is complete.“

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Tiombe Carlos’ family wants answers!

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Rihanna on the set of her new music video for ‘What’s Now.’

News Americas, Los Angeles, CA: Barbados-born singer, Rihanna, is the lone Caribbean singer on the AMA nomination list this year but she’s been slapped with a lawsuit from a funeral home in her native land. Rihanna has four nominations for the 2013 American Music Awards (AMAs) that will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theater L.A. on November 24th, 2013 but now faces a Bds$202,214 from James Wilson and Company. The company says they threw a lavish, no-expense-spared funeral in Barbados for Rihanna’s beloved grandmother Clara “Dolly” Brathwaite, complete with “tents, multimedia large screens and huge exotic floral arrangements,” according to celebrity website TMZ. But to date Rihanna has only coughed up $72,960 - one-quarter of the bill. The 25-year-old singer reportedly is refusing to pay the outstanding debt to the funeral directors.

Her California lawyers Reed Smith last October

sent them a letter stating: “As you know, we are

legal counsel for Robyn Rihanna Fenty …

Accordingly, no monies are due or owing to

you, contractually or otherwise, and no further

monies will be paid.”

Rihanna meanwhile is up for Artist Of The

Year, Favorite Female Artist in the Pop/Rock

and the Soul/R&B categories and Favorite

Album, Soul/.R&B at the AMA’s.

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Rihanna Up For AMA’s

But Facing Lawsuit

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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: With all the talk of doping by Jamaican athletes and allegations of improper monitoring by the Jamaican anti-doping agency, we thought we’d showcase some of the prohibited stimulants of the World Anti Doping Agency, WADA. See if you can keep up.


Adrafinil - a mild central nervous system stimulant drug used to relieve excessive sleepiness and inattention in elderly patients. Amfepramone - is used as an appetite suppressant. Amiphenazole - is a respiratory stimulant traditionally used as treatment of respiratory failure and useful as it could counteract the sedation and respiratory depression produced by morphine. Amphetamine - is a stimulant and is used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder. Amphetaminil - is a stimulant drug derived from amphetamine, which was developed in the 1970s and used for the treatment of obesity, ADHD, and narcolepsy. Benfluorex - may improve glycemic control and decrease insulin resistance in people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes.

Famprofazone - is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent (NSAID) that has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects. Fenfluramine results in a feeling of fullness and loss of appetite. Fenproporex and Furfenorex – used as an appetite suppressant for the treatment of obesity. Mephentermine - has been used as a treatment for hypotension. Methamphetamine - is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity under the trade name Desoxyn. Modafinil - improves daytime wakefulness in people with uncontrollable sleepiness caused by narcolepsy or sleep apnea. Phendimetrazine, Phenmetrazine, Phentermine - used with a diet plan for weight loss.

Jamaica's Asafa Powell, a former 100m world record holder, failed a drugs test in June.

News Americas, Los Angeles, CA: It was not too long ago that Jamaican singer Tessanne Chin was working as a back up singer for reggae legend, Jimmy Cliff. But that seems like eons ago already. Nowadays, the singer is in the international spotlight on a bigger stage than she’s ever been after singing her way into the Top 10 of NBC’s music reality show, The Voice. Chin, who is part of the team of Adam Levine, made the top 10 on Tuesday, Nov. 12th. The singer has thousands of Jamaican and Caribbean fans who are voting for her and turning their social media fans into supporters. Even sprinter Usain Bolt got in on the action, urging his over three million Twitter fans to vote for Chin. Chin, 28, became known as a reggae fusion recording artist, best known for her hit singles “Hideaway” and “Messenger.” “Hideaway” was featured on VP Records’ Reggae Gold 2007. And she has opened for famous acts such as Patti Labelle, Peabo Bryson and Gladys Knight. Now she’s hoping to make musical waves globally. She moves on to the Top 10 show down next Monday night, Nov. 18th on NBC TV at 8 p.m. EST.


Tessanne Chin is now a household name.


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News Americas, LAS VEGAS, Nevada: With 30 plus years as a singer, Panama-born Miguel Bosé will be lauded by the 14th annual Latin Grammy’s in Las Vegas this November 21st. The premier Latin music event set for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, will pay homage to Bosé , this year’s Person of the Year. Bosé started his career as an actor, participating in various movies but in 1977, Bosé signed a contract with CBS Records, and he remained with them until 1984. He had 7 top ten hits in a disco/new wave trend that earned him a secure spot in every televised song festival held in the aforementioned countries, but, by 1983, his star had severely waned in Italy, and he rarely performed there again until the 2000s, retreating to Latin American markets instead. In 1983, 1984, and 1985, he participated in the "Llena Tu Cabeza De Rock" television specials on Puerto Rico WAPA-TV. But it was in 1985 that he became an international superstar, when his song "Amante bandido" rose to the top of the charts all over Latin America and in Spain. The video to that song also became one of the most widely seen Spanish music videos, with Bose playing both a Superman style superhero and an Indiana Jones type of adventurer in it. The Latin Grammy’s will be broadcast live on the Univision Network Nov. 21 from 8 - 11 pm ET / PT (7 pm Central). Actress and singer Lucero returns as the host while Alejandro Sanz along with 29 students from The Berklee College of Music are the latest additions to the musical line up. Others include LMFAO, Marc Anthony, Miguel Bosé, Jesse & Joy (with Mario Domm), Natalia Lafourcade, Draco Rosa, and Carlos Vives. As some of the confirmed presenters are actors Omar Chaparro, Ninel Conde, Ximena Navarrete, Ivan Sanchez, Blanca Soto, Mayrin Villanueva, and David Zepeda.

Miguel Bose


News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: The “Caribbean Wives of South Florida” have landed in the Big Apple. The spin on Bravo’s “Real Housewives…” is set for a red carpet premier at Hunter College’s Kaye Playhouse from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. tonight, Friday, Nov. 15th. The show is the brainchild of Jamaican national and South Florida resident, Maxine Tulloch, who took out a $50,000 mortgage on her family’s home to produce the pilot. The Caribbean housewives are Kendra Parker, a Jamaica-born photographer and mom to a 12-year-old aspiring track star; Terryann Ramirez, a Jamaica-born mother of two and a radiation therapist who treats cancer patients; Selines Silverio from the Dominican Republic, a financial analyst and personal trainer; Jamaican Cindia Aziz, a former model and beauty queen; Brigette Cadet-Young, originally from Haiti and a Miami police detective; Carmel Moise, also from Haiti and a publisher and Dale DeFreitas, a nurse who hails from Grenada. For more on the “Caribbean Wives

of South Florida” see

https://www.facebook.com/events/339899712778454/

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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: Trinidad & Tobago-born rapper, Nicki Minaj has been called a lot of things but the latest – “satan” – has taken the cake. Minaj was dubbed the devil by singer Mariah Carey who served as a fellow judge with the rapper on reality music show, American Idol. Carey, 42, in her interview with radio station HOT 97, said she hated her time on Idol especially having to work alongside Minaj. Carey made $18 mil for her 1st season on the show -- says she was duped by producers who told her she was going to sit on a 3-person panel but then they added Minaj as a 4th judge and things quickly spiraled out of control.

“It was like going to work every day in hell with Satan,” she said. Minaj has in the past called Carey a bitter old woman with no personality.

Trinidad rapper Nicki Minaj, l, and singer Mariah Carey, r. are still feuding.

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FAST FACTS

ON MINAJ

Her real name is

Onika Tanya Maraj.

She was born in Saint James, Port

of Spain and raised in Jamaica,

Queens, New York City.

After success with

three mixtapes released between

2007 and 2009, Minaj signed to Young Money

Entertainment.


By David Jessop News Americas, LONDON, England: In February of this year Cuba’s President, Raul Castro, announced to the Cuban National Assembly that he will step down in 2018. His decision took many by surprise although he had previously made clear that no one in Cuba’s leadership should serve more than two five year terms in office. Despite this, little attention has been paid to the impetus this is providing to Cuba’s economic reform process; the possible impact it may have on relations with the US; or the longer term implications for the Caribbean region. As is well known, Cuba has embarked on a series of reforms that aim to liberalize aspects of its economy to give Cubans greater economic freedoms and more materially, all within a planned and managed system that continues to lay stress on its social nature.

What seems to have been little recognized is that to a significant extent this process has to be either complete or ready for consolidation by the time that President Castro steps down in five years. This is because he is the stabilizing and driving force, underwriting the progress and authenticity of the reform process against continuing resistance from conservatives fearful or unaccustomed to radical change. What is clear in all of this is that Cuba has no intention of changing its political system or discussing this with the US or anyone else; which suggests that the emphasis will increasingly be on engaging with the wider world through investment rather than political dialogue. By indicating that he will be stepping down and handing over to a new generation, Raul Castro would appear to have made easier and less contentious the possibility of future US engagement. .

David Jessop is the director of the

Caribbean Council and can be contacted

at [email protected].

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The World Bank’s 2014 annual ‘Doing

Business’ rankings are in and Latin America

and Caribbean nations are not staking up too

badly.

Actually, out of 189 economies surveyed

globally by the report’s authors, 14 came in on

the top 100 list. The report ranks the

economies in 10 areas of business regulation,

such as starting a business, resolving

insolvency and trading across borders with

one being the highest and 189 the lowest.

THE CARIBBEAN

Most of the Caribbean nations led the way

with Puerto Rico receiving the highest rank at

40 worldwide and 18 overall for the ease of

starting a business.

Puerto Rico was followed by St. Lucia at 64

with an ease of starting a business rank of 57.

Trinidad & Tobago came in at 66 while

Antigua was 71. In both countries, however,

the ease of starting a business was 67 and

92, respectively.

Dominica was ranked 77 while St. Vincent &

the Grenadines came in at 82. In Dominica,

the ease of starting a business was put at 51

while in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it

was put at 68.

Globally, the Bahamas received a ranking of

84 with the ease of starting a business there

put at 83 while and Barbados was ranked 91

worldwide and 77th for ease of starting up a

business.

Jamaica came in at 94 on the list but Bank

officials gave it highest mark of 23 in the

Caribbean for ease of starting up a business.

LATIN For Latin America, Chile led the way with a rank of 34 and ease of starting a business of 22. Peru was next at 42 but starting a business there was a lot harder at a rank of 170. Colombia came in at 43but 79 for ease of starting a business while Mexico was at 53 with a higher start up rank of 48. In Panama, the ease of doing business was ranked at 55 globally and like Peru and Colombia, ranked high of the ease of start-up list at 25. Guatemala rounded out the top 100 for the Latin America and Caribbean nations, coming in at 79 globally but 145 on the start-up rank. OTHER PLUSES In Latin America and the Caribbean, only 10 of 32 economies require new businesses to deposit minimum capital. In the Dominican Republic, it was the highest at $2,500 or half of income per capita. Most of the other economies with enforced capital requirements kept it low. In Suriname it’s about $30 or .04 percent of income percent on income per capita while in Bolivia it’s about $40 or 1.8 percent. St. Kitts/Nevis, Uruguay and Mexico have eliminated capital requirements in the past 10 years. Latin America and the Caribbean also led the world in the depth of credit information index. Jamaica was among 11 other nations globally that enhanced access to credit information by adopting laws or regulations improving frameworks for sharing credit information or protecting borrower’s rights to inspect their own data.

How Easy Is It To Do Business

In Latin America & The Caribbean?

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