Move by Fla. Rep Diaz Balart to tighten Cuba travel may pass in Congress

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Juan O. Tamayo | The Miami Herald. An effort by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart to overturn Obama administration rules easing restrictions on travel to Cuba may win congressional approval despite a threatened presidential veto, according to supporters and even some critics.The Florida Republican’s proposal was initially given little chance of becoming law, especially after President Barack Obama last week vowed to veto it if it reached the White House for his signature. Read More

---

Cuba Celebrates Children's Day

<p style="text-align: justify;">Havana, July 19 (KCNA) -- Cuba celebrated the Children's Day on July 17.Cuban children enjoyed special radio and TV programs that day.Picture book exhibitions, concerts, dramas and other events were held in avenues, plazas, parks and cultural, sports and recreational facilities. Read More

---

Cuba Plans to Increase Sugar Production

<p style="text-align: justify;">Havana, July 19 (KCNA) -- Cuba plans to bring its annual sugar production to 2.5 million tons by 2015.<br /> The Cuban authorities have launched a project to modernize the machinery used at the country's sugar mills. Read More

---

Cuba: 900 farm experts on Venezuela projects

<p style="text-align: justify;">Updated 06:34 p.m., Wednesday, July 20, 2011. HAVANA (AP) — Cuba has more than 900 agricultural experts advising farmers in Venezuela, an official Cuban News Agency said Wednesday.The advisers are working on a dozen farming projects in the South American nation under a regional leftist alliance known as ALBA, Agriculture Ministry official Angel Recio told the National Information Agency, or AIN. Read More

---

Pastors’ Aid Caravan to Cuba Crosses U.S.-Mexican Border

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Michael Fox. Wednesday Jul 20th, 2011 2:38 PM. On July 20, a caravan of over 100 people crossed the U.S.-Mexican border, carrying 100 tons of humanitarian aid on its way to Cuba. This is the 22nd aid caravan to Cuba organized by the inter-faith organization, Pastors for Peace, which brings humanitarian aid to Cuba each year in defiance of the U.S. economic embargo and travel ban. Read More

---

Iberostar takes over high-profile Havana hotel

<p style="text-align: justify;">Spain’s Iberostar quietly took over management of the Hotel Parque Central in Old Havana after a 10-year contract by owner Grupo Cubanacan with Spanish-Dutch competitor NH Hoteles ran out at the end of last year. Neither company explained the change. NH had been managing Old Havana’s biggest hotel since it was built in 1999.Tourism Website Caribe Preferente reported last year that, although the Cuban state company decided to continue working with NH, Cubanacan’s foreign investor partners in the Parque Central wanted a change of management. Read More

---

Labiofam seeks South Africa business

<p style="text-align: justify;">Cuban biotech company Grupo Empresarial Labiofam signed an agreement in Capetown with Baswa (pty) Ltd. for representation in the South African market. Labiofam plans to offer a complete malaria eradication program to South Africa, as it is implementing in two other African nations, partly with South African funding. Cuba is setting up production facilities for bio-larvicide GriselESF in Tanzania and Ghana. The bio-larvicide aside, Labiofam offers a range of bio-pesticides and veterinary drugs. Read More

---

U.S.-Cuba ties in balance over jailed American's appeal

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Marc Frank.&nbsp; HAVANA (Reuters) - Future prospects for improving U.S.-Cuba ties will be at stake when Cuba's highest court hears an appeal on Friday from jailed U.S. aid contractor Alan Gross against his 15-year sentence for crimes against the state. Gross, 62, was arrested in Havana in December 2009 while working on a secretive USAID-funded pro-democracy program that sought to estab Read More

---

Cuba Updates Idle Lands Stock

<p style="text-align: justify;">07/19/2011. A new survey on the situation of land, aimed at determining the level of idle lands throughout the country, is currently implemented, Juventud Rebelde reported on Tuesday. Anibal Nuñez, deputy director of the National Land Control Center (CNCT), stated that the current census will update information provided in the last survey, held in 2007, and reveal what the current panorama is in that aspect, states the note. Read More

---

Cuban Pole-Vaulter Lazaro Borges Wins Gold in Spain

<p style="text-align: justify;">By: Abdul Nasser Thabet. Cuban pole-vaulter Lazaro Borges won gold on Monday at the 14th Gran Premio Excelentisimo Ayuntamiento de Avila and the Fifth Trofeo Caja de Avila, in Spain, with a jump of 5.72 meters, guarantying his participation in the Track and Field World Championships to take place in Daegu, South Korea, from August 27 to September 4. With this 5.72-meter jump, Borges set a new national record and moved up to 14th overall in the world raking. Read More

---