White House quizzed on Caribbean

Caribbean concerns about a new US crackdown on offshore tax centres were raised by a journalist at a White House press briefing on Monday.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said he’d have to check on a query as to whether countries in the region were contacted ahead of the announcement of the new measures by President Obama. Mr Gibbs said he was aware there was a discussion on the subject at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad. But he added that while the administration might understand the Caribbean viewpoint, it didn’t change the administration’s position that, for fairness purposes, “these tax havens have to be dealt with”.

Mr Obama’s plan would eliminate some tax deductions for companies that earn profits in countries with low tax rates. It would also consider US citizens who use tax centres such as the Bahamas or Cayman Islands guilty of violating US tax laws.

Guadeloupe braces for union action

Industrial unrest appears to be looming again in Guadeloupe, which experienced a 44-day lockdown in February and March. The LKP group behind that general strike, has called on the island’s workers to take part in what it called a “general mobilization” on Friday.

It did not say what form the action would take.

Trade unions are said to be unhappy about the implementation of some aspects of the pay and cost of living agreement that ended the strike.

Witchcraft link denied by politician’s wife

The wife of St Lucia’s opposition leader has denied reports that she helped organise a local conference of witches. The matter was even raised in parliament by a government minister who didn’t name the wife of a high ranking member of the St Lucia Labour Party alleged to be involved in the witchcraft conference. But the rumour mill took over and the finger of suspicion landed on Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, the wife of Kenny Anthony, the former St Lucia Prime Minister. “All I can say is that this is a vicious lie, a cold calculated lie,” the university professor said.