Cubans At World Youth Day Mass Seeking Asylum In Toronto 

A group of 23 Cuban pilgrims is now hiding out in Toronto and plans to claim political asylum. They arrived last week to celebrate World Youth Day, six days of events ending with Sunday mass and a visit from Pope John Paul. The young Catholic Cubans, mostly unmarried professionals in their 20s, have been hidden by supporters of the Cuban Canadian Foundation in various locations around the city, anxious to elude the Cuban security police officers that accompanied them to Toronto. 

Members of the CCF said great secrecy and planning were required to identify and split the defectors from their 200-member World Youth Day delegation and spirit them off the site of the papal mass. CCF president Ismael Sambra said the Cubans would claim they’d be persecuted for their religious beliefs if they return home. "In Cuba they cannot express their freedom of religion," he said. 

World Youth Day Communications Director Paul Kibertus signaled his disappointment that the pilgrims used the religious event for the purpose of gaining asylum, saying they had to meet rigorous visa standards set down by Immigration officials, with processing fees waived. And Orlando Diaz, a spokesman for the Cuban Council of Catholic Bishops, and organization that signed their visas, said he doubts their claims of persecution. " Catholics in Cuba face neither threat of imprisonment or violence in Cuba." 

According to Sambra, the group is fleeing religious persecution in a country that has only begun to reconcile itself to the Catholic Church and the idea of religious expression. "They decided to leave Cuba to escape from the repression there, because it is not possible to express freely these religious ideas and political ideas," Sambra said.

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Mexican Film Stars Warn Against Illegal Crossing In Public Service Ads 

Mexican actor-directors Hector Bonilla and Alfonso Arau will soon appear in public service announcements aimed at discouraging potentially deadly illegal crossings into the United States.  

Bonilla, famous with Mexican audiences for his appearances in movies and theatre productions, has filmed 30-second spots for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Arau, connected to the crossover hit, Like Water For Chocolate, is scheduled to shoot his ads later this week with El Paso-based filmmaker Cesar Alejandro, who is known for Spanish-language action movies. 

The ads are all-volunteer efforts that will run in Mexico and Latin America. Since 1998, more than 1,000 immigrants have died trying to enter the United States from Mexico. 

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Australia Offers Children Of Overseas Nurses Free Education 

In a measure offered to help reduce the nurse shortage in Australia, children of overseas nurses will get free school education in a bid to attract them to fill a desperate shortage in public hospitals. 

There are more than 1,800 nursing vacancies in the State, an increase of 200 unfilled positions since last year. 

The Health Minister's office said public school fees for children of overseas nurses would be paid as part of an overall package designed to attract nurses from other countries. Other parts of the Government's package include assistance with obtaining visas, a $1,000 contribution to their airfare, reception on touchdown and assistance in obtaining accommodation. 

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Britain’s New Anti-terrorism Law Ruled Illegal 

A three-judge panel ruled in favor of nine Muslim detainees Wednesday who had challenged Britain's tough new anti-terrorism law, finding that it discriminates illegally against foreigners. The panel said the government was justified in ordering detention without trial because of the threat of terrorism after Sept. 11, but that the law was unfair because it applied solely to foreigners. 

A key part of the British government's clampdown is last December's Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act, which allows the authorities to detain without trial non-British citizens who are suspected of involvement in international terrorism and considered a threat to security. If the government ultimately loses on appeal, it could be forced to drop or amend the law.