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Sixty-six per cent of the adolescents who answered a survey carried out in the schools of the municipality of San José de las Lajas, in the province of Havana, had consumed alcoholic beverages, a figure considered worrisome because it reveals the early beginning of “a possible addiction that unquestionably has an influence on and damages biological, psychological and social development.” The research, published by Havana’s Revista de Ciencias Médicas medical journal, also warned about the proportion of girls and female adolescents, “given that it is recognized in literature as the least tolerant and at greatest risk” for this population group

Cuba has made efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) related to children and adolescents, despite limited resources, José Juan Ortiz, UNICEF representative in the island, highlighted. “The idea is political will more than technological development or monetary power; of awareness that the Millennium Development Goals are in our hands, from and by the new generations,” the official said.

Cuban weather forecasters issued a new advisory late Tuesday afternoon on Tropical Depression No. 16, which they say could become Tropical Storm “Nicole” later tonight before crossing the island.

Cuban Vice President and Minister of Economy and Planning Marino Murillo affirmed that the elimination of inflated payrolls in the state sector could finance wage increases in the immediate future.

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro affirmed today that his denunciations 50 years ago about the aggressiveness of U.S. imperialism are still valid and reiterated his warnings about the danger of a nuclear war.

The move virtually assures the issue will not come up until after the November 2nd congressional elections when Republicans are expected to make gains.

Portions of western and central Cuba are under a tropical storm warming with the forming today of Tropical Depression 16 which is expected to turn into a tropical storm “Nicole” by later Tuesday, reports the National Hurricane Center. Also on alert are southern Florida and the Bahamas.

Cuba hopes to conclude this year the modernization of its seismological system with the installation of 18 high sensibility seismometers and the publication on the Internet of all the information on the occurrence of telluric movements on the island, Bladimir Moreno, director of the National Centre for Seismological Research, affirmed.