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The situation of mangroves in Cuba has improved since special measures were taken to preserve these coastal formations, said Leda Menéndez, researcher of the National Biodiversity Center. More than 70 per cent of the island’s coasts are protected by these forests, which are the front line against extreme natural phenomena such as hurricanes, reported IPS.

Cuba will present its potential for exporting veterinary services during the International Congress on this subject to be held in the island’s capital April 11-14, Beatriz Amaro, president of the Veterinary Scientific Council, announced. The island will present its capabilities to work abroad in vigilance systems, diagnostic and clinical veterinary medicine and animal health etc., reported IPS.

A meeting of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) is taking place Saturday in Havana, Cuba. The following is the press release from the sports organization.

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Former Cuban President Fidel Castro questioned the State of the Union speech by U.S. President Barack Obama last Jan. 25. In one of his usual Reflections, Castro strongly criticized what the U.S. president said regarding the U.S. economy, renewable energy and international cooperation, among other issues. “It is difficult that God can bless so many lies,” the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution said.

Writers from Cuba, Argentina and Mexico were awarded the Casa de las Américas Prize, which this year opened its annual contest in the short story, essay, novel and testimony genres, the local press reported. Cuban Emerio Medina won the short story prize with the book “La bota sobre el toro muerto.”

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has hindered a project of the Miami-based TeleCuba Communications Inc. Company that was given a Treasury department license to lay a fibre optic cable to Cuba, in response to the opening on this matter announced by President Barack Obama in April 2009, El Nuevo Herald reported.

Thirty-five per cent of the investments begun in Cuba do not meet the requirements established by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, which is why it suspended 78 important investments for the island programmed for 2011, the official Granma daily reported. According to the source, the cause of the violations is “a high degree of willfulness,” which ignores “in many cases the feasibility studies”, reported IPS.

New regulations are now in place to allow more students seeking credit and religious organizations to travel legally to Cuba, while the general US population is still banned by their government from visiting the neighboring island.