Business & Economy

After serving 2.5 years of his 9-year sentence for corruption, Canadian businessman Sarkis Yacoubian was suddenly released and is now back home in Toronto, reported AP. The release of Yacoubian has not been reported in the Cuban press.

Schizophrenia is nothing new to Miami. But the recent uproar caused by a piece on Cuban American sugar tycoon Alfy Fanjul takes the cake. It also demonstrates what many have been saying for the past few years: the Cuba debate has pivoted towards one where even a stalwart of the past half century Cuba-thought now yearns to return to the island of his birth.

The Public Ministry of Panama plans to auction off ten thousand tons of Cuban sugar under which an undeclared Cuban arsenal carried by a North Korean ship was seized last July trying to pass through the Panama Canal.

The European Union (EU) will look to strengthen relations with Cuba, said a senior official referring to the document expected to be approved next week by the foreign ministers in Brussels, reported dpa news.

Russia and Cuba signed an agreement Monday in Moscow that brings two major state-owned pharmaceutical companies Mikrogen (Russia) and Labiofam (Cuba) together in the fight against cancer.

Here is the list of the “protein products” available to Havana residents with their ration book for the week of January 27-31. It also includes a preview of some food items that will be available in February.

Reports on shortages of personal hygiene products such as deodorant and toothpaste made their way to the front page of Cuba’s official newspaper Granma last week.

Refills for prepaid cell phones and payment of telephone bills via the Internet will be available to Cubans starting this week, announced the official website Cubadebate, citing ETECSA as its source.