Lula meets Castro brothers in Cuba

<p style="text-align: justify;">Brazilian former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met Cuba’s mandate Raúl Castro and former president Fidel Castro who Lula regarded as being “very talkative as usual” during short trip to Cuba.The gathering took place yesterday in Fidel’s residence in the countries’ capital. According to official note, issued by the Citizenship Institute, directed by the former Brazilian president, Lula is in the island in a private tour. Read More

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Higher prices luring more farmers in Cuba

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Marc Frank. HAVANA, June 2 (Reuters) - More Cuban farmers are opting to grow sugar cane due to higher prices and other incentives being offered by the Sugar Ministry as part of plans to revive the depressed crop, industry sources said this week.Sugar may no longer be king on the Caribbean island where it once accounted for 90 percent of export earnings with 7 to 8 million tonne harvests, and today brings in only 5 percent of foreign currency.But with international prices expected to remain high, the government is showing a new interest in the sector. Read More

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Archaeological Finding in Banes, Holguin Province

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Alberto Santiesteban Leyva / Radio Banes / radioangulo.icrt.cu / Wednesday, 01 June 2011 15:53. A stone mortar made by Cuban aboriginals that lived in Banes centuries ago. An unusual archaeological finding has just taken place in the Cuban province of Holguin, where 14 mortars appeared before the astonishing eyes of the men digging a hole in the back yard of the house of Martha Rodriguez Alvarez, at 3603 Bruno Merino street, in the city of Banes.The mortars are rudimentary pieces that might belong to a Siboney or Taino tribe, Cuban aboriginals living in the area before Spanish arrivals, says graduate Rafael Quinones, an expert from Indocubano Bani museum in Banes, who praised the authenticity of the pieces. Read More

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Original, with passion? Ballet Nacional de Cuba gets close, but no cigar

<p style="text-align: justify;">( Bill O'Leary / THE WASHINGTON POST ) - Anette Delgado as Giselle and Ernesto Diaz as Hilarion in the Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s rehearsal of “Giselle” at the Kennedy Center.By Sarah Kaufman. There may have been little magic in the Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s “Magic of Dance” program Tuesday at the Kennedy Center Opera House, but there were hints of enchantment. All but one of the works in this showcase of excerpts were commonplace, and Artistic Director Alicia Alonso’s arrangements of the original choreography were ordinary and unsurprising across the board. Read More

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Cuba announces work force reduction in health care

<p style="text-align: justify;">AP. Wed Jun 1, 3:27 pm ET. HAVANA – Cuba says fewer employees are working in the island's health care system, led by a significant reduction in nonprofessional jobs.A report from the National Statistics Office says overall employment in the sector fell 14 percent in 2010 to about 282,000. There were 330,000 the previous year. Read More

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Cuba Cuba, Extreme Pita, Forma Furniture opening at Boulder's Village Shopping Center

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Alicia Wallace. The Camera. Posted: 06/01/2011 09:35:34 AM MDT. Updated: 06/01/2011 09:37:51 AM MDT. Three businesses — a Cuban sandwich bistro, a pita restaurant and a furniture store — recently leased space at the Village Shopping Center in Boulder.Cuba Cuba Sandwicheria, a fast-casual Cuban restaurant started by the owners of the Cuba Café &amp; Bar in Denver, leased a 1,515-square-foot space facing Arapahoe on the southern end of the center. The restaurant is expected to serve Cuban-style sandwiches and entrée dishes such as picadillo and lechon, officials said. Read More

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Cuba: Int'l Boxing Tournament Begins

<p style="text-align: justify;">By: Ruth.09:06.Havana, Jun 1 (Prensa Latina) The 41st Giraldo Cordova Cardin Memorial International Boxing Tournament begins Wednesday with about 100 athletes from 14 countries.Havana's Ramon Fonst Multipurpose Hall is the venue for this event, where Cuba's best boxers will be in action, including 10 who will participate in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara. Read More

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Raul Castro, Lula Meet

<p style="text-align: justify;">By: Fany Rodríguez.08:50. Havana, June 1 (Prensa Latina) Cuba´s President Raul Castro held a working meeting with the former president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is visiting the island.During their Tuesday night meeting, the two leaders exchanged views on the excellent state of relations between their two nations, and talked about different international issues. Read More

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Fuego Enterprises Announces U.S. and Puerto Rico Tour of Acclaimed Grammy Award Winner Pablo Milanes

<p style="text-align: justify;">MIAMI, June 1, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fuego Enterprises FUGI - Proudly announces the U.S. and Puerto Rico Tour of Cuban music composer, singer and guitar player Pablo Milanes. Along with Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanes was one of the crucial figures in Cuba's nueva trova popular-song movement of the late '60s; the collective of nueva trova musicians were essentially supposed to reconfigure and update traditional Cuban folk music for the nation's new, modern, post-revolutionary society. With more than 29 albums and CDs to his credit, with three Grammy nominations and two Grammy wins, he has done live performances in a large number of countries throughout Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Read More

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Hurricane season starting with high US, Caribbean risk

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Staff Writers. Miami (AFP) May 31, 2011. The Atlantic hurricane season kicks off Wednesday with elevated threats to the United States and nations around the Caribbean, the latest forecasts show.The season officially begins June 1 and runs to November 30, and will feature atmospheric conditions which experts predict will lead to formation of 12 to 18 named tropical storms, of which six to 10 could become hurricanes, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA predicts between three and six major hurricanes of Category 3 intensity or higher on the five-level Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Read More

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