News Archives - Page 1257 of 1333

Strange Palau-Cuba Connection

The tiny Pacific Island nation of Palau, population 20,000, has been in the news twice in the last week both times involving Cuba, another much larger island in the Caribbean, 90 miles from Florida.

Cuba Reaches 2 Million Tourists in 2009

For the sixth year in a row Cuba achieved the figure of two million tourists, announced the Ministry of Tourism. With two months to go in the year, tourist arrivals are up 3.9 percent over last year, reported IPS citing the Ministry. The growth has occurred despite the economic crisis and the international health situation.

EU Commissioner to Meet with Raul Castro

The European Union (EU) commissioner for cooperation, Karel De Gucht, begins a visit to Cuba on Saturday during which he will evaluate the collaboration program with the island. He also expects to meet with President Raúl Castro

Coup Leaders Sign Accord under Pressure

Pressure over the last few days by the international community seems to have forced the de facto government in Honduras to sign the final point of the agreement to request that country’s congress to reinstate ousted president Manual Zelaya. Contributing to this development was the presence in Honduras of the US undersecretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, Thomas Shannon, as well as a new delegation from the Organization of American States (OAS).

Cuba a State Sponsor of Terrorism?

“Wisdom removes hate,” said US Congressman Bobby Rush, noting that US citizens have been denied the truth about today’s Cuba. The representative spoke on Capitol Hill where he, along with the Center for Democracy in the Americas, hosted a panel to discuss the appropriateness of Cuba being included on the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.

Honduras Accord Bodes Well for Obama

The deal, which is still subject to the approval of the Honduran Congress and a non-binding opinion from the country’s Supreme Court, finally resolved the one issue on which talks had stalled the past several weeks – the restoration of ousted president Manuel Zelaya to the presidency for the remaining two plus months of his term.

Amnesty Repeats Call to US over Cuba

Amnesty International responded to the resounding United Nations vote this week calling for an end to the US blockade on Cuba, requesting that the Obama administration stop putting Cuban lives at risk with the time-worn policy.

Obama Stands By Cuba Blockade

The administration of President Barack Obama, which has vowed to improve relations with sanctions-hit Cuba, refused to break away from the traditional stand taken by successive U.S. governments and voted against a U.N. resolution calling for an end to the 47-year-old U.S. economic, commercial and financial embargo against the Caribbean island nation.

New Round of Honduras Talks

At the urging of a high-level U.S. government mission, the negotiating teams of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and de facto leader Roberto Micheletti restarted talks Thursday to find a solution to the four-month political crisis. The U.S. delegation is headed by Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon.

Cuba Pushes for Food Security

“Thanks to the joint work of the international community, the United Nations and the Cuban government, we have been able to provide more assistance in such important areas as food,” the United Nations resident coordinator in Cuba, Susan McDade, told IPS.