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Hurricane Rina is expected to take a north course in the coming hours bordering the Eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Overnight the storm weakened some with maximum sustained winds now pegged at 75 mph (120 kph).

Due to the slow movement of Hurricane Rina and conditions in the upper atmosphere, this will decrease the storm’s intensity over the coming days. However, the period is expected to see plenty of rainfall, especially from late afternoon on Saturday until Tuesday.

While expected to weaken further after touching land, the path of Hurricane Rina after touching land on the Mexican Yucatan could lead it towards Cuba or south Florida, possibly as a tropical storm.

With only five days to go in the 2011 Guadalajara Pan American Games Cuba has now climbed into third place in the medal standings and is bearing down on second, now held by the South American giant, Brazil. As expected the USA is far out in front in first place.

The Mexican Yucatan Peninsula including the popular tourist resort Cancun are on alert for Hurricane Rina and at least western Cuba also appears in the sights of the storm.

Cuba’s baseball fans were highly disappointed on Monday as their national team fell 12-10 to the United States in the semifinals of the Guadalajara Pan American Games.

Cuba is on the UN agenda on Tuesday but it has nothing to do with sanctions on the Caribbean island nation. Instead it is the half-century United States economic blockade on Cuba that will obtain approval or rejection from the world body.

Cuba plays the United States in a must-win semifinal game on Monday at 2:00 Guadalajara time (3:00 p.m. in Havana). Cuba has won the last ten Pan American Baseball titles dating back to 1963. The USA has garnered seven silver medals and two bronze during that period.