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Habana defeated Pinar del Rio and its towering veteran Pedro Luis Lazo 7-4 on Tuesday to even Cuba’s best-of-seven Western Division Championship series at one game each. Meanwhile, in the East, Villa Clara beat Ciego de Avila 8-3 in 11 innings to take a 2-0 series lead.

The extra-territorial US blockade on Cuba, which also affects businesses of third countries wanting to trade with the island, received a new rejection over the weekend. The Senate of Argentina passed a resolution asking Washington to lift the blockade.

Promoting respect for freedom of sexual orientation has picked up steam in Cuba in recent years. Among its activities in that direction, the National Center for Sex Education (CENESEX) organizes an educational and cultural day geared to fight all types of discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Cuba’s civil defense network will hold this weekend its annual prevention drill against natural, technological and health disasters. Dubbed Meteoro 2009, the drills come two weeks before the beginning of the 2009 hurricane season that runs from June 1 to November 30.

The Cuban Public Health Ministry reported on Thursday that two additional cases of Swine the A (H1N1) virus were confirmed on the island, both foreign medical students, as the only other documented case. Controls have been stepped up at airports and sea ports as well as epidemiological vigilance throughout the county at the different health units.

The condition of the only person reported in Cuba with the A (H1N1) virus, a Mexican medical student, is favorably improving, said Manuel Santin, national director of epidemiology. While there is still only one case on the island, Cuban health authorities —renowned for their prevention work— are preparing for any eventualities.

The Western Division of the Cuban Baseball League is down to two teams, La Habana and Pinar del Rio as both disposed of their rivals on Monday, Isla de la Juventud and Sancti Spiritus four games to one in the quarterfinals. Eastern Division play continues Tuesday with Ciego de Avila sporting a three to zero lead over Holguin and Santiago de Cuba and Villa Clara now tied at two wins each in the best-of-seven series.

The Orbitz Worldwide Travel Agency launched an Internet petition campaign this week at the http://www.opencuba.org website to request that the US Congress lift the ban on travel to Cuba. The biggest snag for advancing is President Obama’s failing to agree to talks based on mutual respect and sovereignty, and instead asking Cuba to make unilateral concessions to US interests.

Cuba joined the list of some 30 countries on Monday reporting at least one case of Swine Flu (AH1N1 Virus). Cuba’s network of neighborhood and community doctor’s offices and polyclinics, and the country’s emphasis on prevention, is the greatest safeguard against an outbreak of Swine Flu or other diseases on the island.