No bull - we rode on farm beast

<p style="text-align: justify;">STUDENTS have ridden on the back of a Cuban farmer's bull as part of a trip to discover the heritage and history of the country.Truro College students travelled more than 1,700 miles by bus across the Cuban landscape. The journey began in Viñales with a visit to the World Heritage site, where Cuban artist Leovigildo González, disciple of the Mexican muralist, Diego Rivera, painted a 120m-high mural depicting the animals and creatures that inhabited the valley in prehistoric times.While at the mural the group's tour guide introduced them to a local farmer and his bull. He enthusiastically invited the students to take short rides on the back of the impressive animal. Read More

---

Le Quang Liem leads Capablanca Memorial 2011

<p style="text-align: justify;">VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnamese grandmaster Le Quang Liem is leading the 46th Capablanca Memorial 2011, together with Navara David from the Czech Republic and Andreikin Dmitry from Russia.Liem won all five matches in the first leg of the competition, which is taking place in Havana, Cuba from May 11-24.The Vietnam’s No1 seed received resounding applaud from foreign experts who described Liem as a “rare phenomenon” from the East. Read More

---

Cuba's official paper says 25% of Cubans suffer hypertension

<p style="text-align: justify;">English.news.cn&nbsp;&nbsp; 2011-05-19 10:21:35. HAVANA, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Over 2.2 million Cubans, about 25 percent of the island's adult population, suffer from hypertension, the official daily Granma said Wednesday.But the real number of hypertensive patients is bigger because a significant number of them do not receive medical treatment, Granma said.The main symptoms of this disease appear as headache, dizziness and tinnitus, although patient may also have nose bleeding and a loss of consciousness. Read More

---

Cuban Volleyball team off to Bulgaria looking to the World League

<p style="text-align: justify;">Cuba's men's volleyball team has departed for Bulgaria to complete their final preparations for the 22nd World League tournament, to be held May 27 through July 10, ending in the Polish city of Gdansk.Given the official announcement of the replacement of Roberlandy Simón, Yoandy Leal and Raidel Hierrezuelo, the Cuban coach Orlando Samuels will be traveling with a very young team, led by the new captain, Wilfredo León, who will share the auxiliary attacker position with three others. Read More

---

Cuban Raperas Krudas Cubensi Return to SanTana!

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Gabriel San Roman, Wed., May 18 2011 @ 8:52AM.shows. It has been more than three years since the Cuban hip-hop duo Krudas Cubensi came through Orange County to rock the mic in SanTana. Being one of the most talented outfits to emerge from the island nation's distinct and emergent scene, it has felt much longer than that for those who have already experienced their energetic live sets. Read More

---

Argentinean Singer-Songwriter Federico Pecchia Attends Cuban Record Fair and Contest

<p style="text-align: justify;">2011.05.17 - 21:28:14 / radiorebelde.icrt.cu. Santiago De Cuba, Cuba.- Argentinean singer-songwriter Federico Pecchia is in this eastern Cuban city to participate in Cubadisco, Cuba’s International annual record fair and contest, accompanied by his guitar and the music of Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes as referents.I’m happy to be on this island, for the influence of its history and cultural values and for what it represents for the development of social struggles in Latin American, the music and composer told the ACN. Read More

---

Cuban Small Business Can Hire and Fire Labour

<p style="text-align: justify;">HAVANA, May 17 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) - Cuba has given all small businesses the authority to hire (and fire) labour and will loosen other regulations governing private enterprise.This is part of the broader measures to reform the island’s economy and boost production, the government said in a statement.The measure was the latest indication that President Raul Castro's government has decided to loosen its grip on economic sectors that include retail services, construction and transportation in favour of private business. Read More

---

A Cuban celebration: Troupe captures spirit, energy of Mateo’s homeland

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Karen Campbell. Globe Correspondent / May 18, 2011. CAMBRIDGE — One of choreographer José Mateo’s most impressive traits over the course of his company’s 25-year history is his embrace of a wide palette of music, from Bach and Mozart to more adventurous fare by such composers as Schnittke, Ginastera, Bartók, and Górecki. He seems to seek out music that challenges his choreographic compass yet allows him to remain true to his core aesthetic of neoclassicism.CUBANIA! José Mateo Ballet Theatre Read More

---

Norway provides offshore oil training

<p style="text-align: justify;">Norway signed a memorandum of understanding to provide know-how in offshore drilling. The oil agreement, signed by Deputy Foreign Ministers Ingrid Fiskaa and Ramón Ripoll Díaz and representatives of the Cuban Basic Industry Ministry and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), provides for training of personnel for oil exploration and production, mainly at sea.“It’s Norwegian cooperation where we share our experience with petroleum resource management, an exchange between experts about technology that’s used for offshore exploration and drilling,” Fiskaa said during a press conference in Havana. Read More

---

Fair in French Region of Burgundy Dedicated to Cuba

<p style="text-align: justify;">2011.05.18 - 13:53:33 / radiorebelde.icrt.cu. HAVANA, CUBA.- The Fourth Exhibition and Fair of the commune of Cosne-Cours-sur Loire, in the French region of Burgundy, was dedicated to Cuba and the prospects to increase cooperation with the Caribbean nation.Prensa Latina news agency reports that the picturesque city, with plenty of monuments and historic plazas, hosted the event with the participation of the SoliCuba association and the trade union of the national company EDF (Energy of France). Read More

---