Cuban eggs, not cigars, fall foul of U.S. Customs

<p style="text-align: justify;">MIAMI (Reuters) – A Cuban-American father and daughter face a possible jail term or hefty fines after their attempt to bring 72 unhatched pigeon eggs from Cuba to the United States fell foul of U.S. Customs.The United States maintains a long-running trade embargo against Cuba that prohibits commercial imports from the island and often leads to seizures of illicit shipments of Cuban cigars destined for U.S. connoisseurs. Read More

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Cuba Increases Tobacco Crop For Famous Cigars

<p style="text-align: justify;">PINAR DEL RIO, CUBA, Dec 23 (BERNAMA-NNN- PRENSA LATINA) - Farmers in Cuba's western province are stepping up tobacco planting for a larger crop next year.The region has an international reputation for the excellence of its tobacco and it contributes over 50 percent of the domestic production of the leafs for use in making internationally famous Cuban cigars. Read More

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Cuban coach for beach volleyballers

<p style="text-align: justify;">Thursday, December 23 2010. Mushtaque Mohammed, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation (TTVF), has revealed that his organisation may acquire the services of a Cuban coach to assist the national men and women’s beach volleyball teams for the next round of NORCECA qualifying for the London 2012 Olympics. Read More

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Cuba Offers Poor Medical Students a Free Ride

<p style="text-align: justify;">On Wednesday's NewsHour, Ray Suarez wraps up his series on Cuba with a look at its medical diplomacy efforts around the world. HAVANA, Cuba. In an old naval academy on Havana's western shore, thousands of low-income students from around the world -- including 100 from the United States -- are getting a free medical education thanks the Cuban government.The Latin American Medical School, "ELAM" in Spanish, was conceived by former President Fidel Castro following Hurricanes George and Mitch, which devastated parts of Central America and the Caribbean in 1998. Read More

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Spanish Hotel Chain Ratifies Leadership in Cuba

<p style="text-align: justify;">HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 22 (acn) Spanish hotel chain Sol Melia ratified in 2010 its leadership in the Cuban tourist industry with the opening of its 25th hotel, the&nbsp; Meliá Buenavista, in Santa Maria Key, and now runs 21 percent of the Cuba’s lodgement capacity.President of Sol Melia Cuba Operation Gabriel Garcia said the Spanish chain is interested in expanding its operations in Cuba, where 31 percent of the four and five star hotels are run by them. Read More

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70 Cholera Cases in Dominican Republic

<p style="text-align: justify;">Escrito por Lourdes chang. miércoles, 22 de diciembre de 2010. Santo Domingo, Dec 22 (Prensa Latina) The number of Dominicans infected by cholera increased to 70, according to Minister of Public Health Bautista Rojas.Only three of the infected people were still hospitalized, while the rest went back to work, the minister stated. Read More

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Cuban Theater in India

<p style="text-align: justify;">Escrito por Dayami Interián García. miércoles, 22 de diciembre de 2010. New Delhi, Dec 22 (Prensa Latina) The theater company "El Ciervo Encantado" is representing Cuba at the 3rd International Theater Festival that began Wednesday in Kerala, dedicated this year to Latin America. The theater company will stage "Visiones de la Cubanosofía," a play on Cuban identity, according to the event's organizing committee and the Cuban mission in that capital. Read More

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Freestyle Wrestling Sorted Out Itself

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Lemay Padrón Oliveros. After a very poor 2009, Cuban freestyle wrestling sorted out itself with good performances at continental events and three medals at the World Championship, which makes think they are on time to keep the presence on the Olympic podium, interrupted since the 1992 Barcelona Games. In order to know something more about what has happened in the last twelve months and the projections ahead of 2011 we talked with Julio Mendieta, head coach of the senior team. Read More

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AIDS on the rise in Cuban youth, Officials state

<p style="text-align: justify;">AFP. HAVANA - Cuban health authorities have warned of a dramatic rise in AIDS cases among the young on the island, where there over 1,300 new HIV infections in 2008 and another 1,400 are estimated for this year.Cubans aged 19 to 24 are at the greatest risk of infection, said Jorge Perez, deputy director of the Tropical Medicine Institute in Havana, warning of the dangers of unprotected sex. Read More

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No Cuba trip for prosecutors the judge said

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Tracey Eaton. A federal judge on Tuesday denied prosecutors' request to travel to depose witnesses in the perjury trial of Cuban exile Luis Posada Carriles. Prosecutors wanted to take statements from Otto Rene Rodriguez Llerena and Francisco Chavez Abarca, both of whom have accused Posada Carriles of involvement in a string of bombings in Havana in 1997 and 1998. Read More

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