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A bill that will allow Cuban-Americans to travel to Cuba once every year instead of every three years was approved by the US Senate on Tuesday. The legislation, attached to a $410 billion appropriations bill, also passed by the House of Representatives. It is expected to be signed into law by President Obama.

Yosvani Peraza stepped into the batters box with Cuba down 4-3 and two out in the bottom of the eighth inning against Australia late Tuesday. Yulieski Gourriel was on first having led off the inning with a single. With one swing the game was suddenly 5-4 and Cuba is headed for San Diego.

HAVANA TIMES, March 9 – The number of women in leadership posts increased by barely six per cent since 2000, an increase considered insignificant for the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), noted the organization on International Womens Day on Sunday. The figure is considered to be paradoxical because around 60 per cent of the country’s technical workforce is made up by women.

Cuba opened won its first game of the World Baseball Classic II, 8-1 over South Africa on Sunday afternoon in the Foro Sol Stadium in Mexico City. The score might have been even more lopsided if it hadn’t been that South Africa managed three double plays and picked off two fast Cuban base runners, Olivera and Paret off first base.

New Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez reiterated to his Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos his government’s desire to continue with the reestablished dialogue and speed up the agreed upon bilateral agenda for 2009. Rodriguez spoke by telephone with Moratinos just days after replacing Felipe Perez Roque as Cuba’s top diplomat.

The US Congress put off until next week a vote on the new national budget which includes a bill tacked on that would lift some restrictions on sales of food and medicines to Cuba as well as allow Cuban-Americans to travel more frequently to the island than the once every three years allowed under President Bush, reported IPS.

Two of Cuba’s younger top leaders, not long ago both considered possible presidential material, admitted to errors that led to their destitution on Monday. In letters to President Raul Castro, ex-VP Carlos Lage, 57, and ex-Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, 43, both admitted to having made mistakes and resigned their seats in the Cuban parliament and on the Council of State. No details about the errors were revealed by either of the former officials.

World Baseball Classic II got under way on Thursday with the first game in the Asian group with Japan shutting out China 4-0. The other two teams in Group A are South Korea and Chinese Taipei who play on Friday. Cuba is in Group B along with host Mexico, Australia and South Africa. It plays its opener on Sunday against South Africa at 2:00 p.m. Cuban time. For an insider look at Cuba in the Classic see Peter Bjarkman’s WBC Diary at: http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=5062

The US government is watching “closely” the Cuba cabinet reshuffle, pointed out Robert Duguid, State Department spokesman, reported IPS. Cuban President Raul Castro has made several overtures to President Obama to establish a dialogue based on mutual respect and free of pre-conditions to resolve the 50-year conflict between the two countries.

The Dominican Republic and Cuba will sign new cooperation agreements in the areas of agriculture, information technology and education, announced Dominican President Leonel Fernández, who is on an official visit to the island.