The hurricane season that begins next June 1 will be more active than average due to the weakening of the El Niño phenomenon and the high temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, affirmed José Rubiera, director of the National Forecast Centre of Cuba’s Institute of Meteorology. After a devastating 2008, when the country was hit by three hurricanes, in 2009 the Caribbean nation was only indirectly affected by Ida’s passage through the Gulf of Mexico.
Read MoreThe Cuban government will begin today the transfer of the political prisoners to penitentiaries closer to their provinces of origin and will hospitalize those who are ill, affirmed dissident Guillermo Fariñas, who maintains a hunger strike in favour of the release of the latter. The island’s gesture would be the first response to the dialogue with the Catholic Church hierarchy last week.
Read MoreTalks between the government of President Raúl Castro and leaders of the Catholic Church in Cuba may alleviate internal tensions and lead to the release of political prisoners, although the dialogue should be extended to include other social sectors in the country, religious leaders and analysts told IPS.
Read MoreThe U.S. government increased the number of licenses to travel to Cuba, a destination banned for U.S. citizens, affirmed Arturo Valenzuela, Department of State assistant secretary for western hemisphere affairs. According to the official, the travel permits for religious reasons increased by 25 per cent while those given for artistic and academic reasons also grew, but to a lesser extent.
Read MoreCuban President Raúl Castro expressed his willingness to take steps regarding the situation of the political prisoners in the island, affirmed Dionicio García, Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba and president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba, who met yesterday with the president together with Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino, Archbishop of Havana.
Read MoreCuban President Raul Castro’s meeting with two representatives of the Catholic Church hierarchy represents a recognition of the latter’s role as an interlocutor in the discussion of the island’s present and future, affirmed Cardinal Jaime Ortega, Archbishop of Havana, in a press conference. Although the prelate admitted that there was no commitment on the government’s part to resolve questions such as the release of political prisoners, he described this first meeting and the following as “an open road with perspectives and hopes.”
Read MoreRepresentatives of the Cuban opposition presented in the island’s capital a “national refoundation” project under the name of Nuevo País (New Country), which will be proposed to the citizenry for its signing and later delivery to the National Assembly. The initiative, made known by Manuel Cuesta Morúa, of Arco Progresista, rests on pillars such as the defense of individual rights, pluralism, cultural and identity diversity, market economy, policies of distributive equity and social protection networks.
Read MoreUS and Cuban specialists are exchanging information in Havana on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with the aim of confronting this disaster’s possible consequences on the environment, informed Virginia Staab, spokesperson for the US State Department. She said that her government wants to maintain “a clear line of communication” on the matter with Havana.
Read MoreCuba’s strategy to boost production and reduce imports of food is intended to untangle the bureaucratic knots that hinder privately-run farms, responsible for 70 percent of the food on the country’s dinner tables.
Read MoreThe Week against Homophobia should extend the whole year, only in this way will homophobics get used to the idea of coexisting with diverse sexual orientations. And gradually true acceptance will come.
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