New Tropical System Threatens Antilles

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist. Aug 20, 2011; 11:21 AM ET. An area of disturbed weather that may garner the name Irene will threaten the Antilles from the Windward Islands through Cuba with torrential rain and gusty winds. As of Saturday midday, the system is still in the developing and pre-tropical storm stage. However, even in its infancy, it brings the risk of flash flooding, mudslides and dangerous surf conditions to those usually tranquil island nations. Read More

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Total of 2,000 Athletes to IAAF World Championships in Daegu

<p style="text-align: justify;">By:Tomas Armenteros Crespo.Monte Carlo, Aug 20 (Prensa Latina) A total of 2,000 athletes will represent 200 countries at the World Track &amp; Field Championship in Daegu, South Korea, from August 27 to September 4, according to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The event will give more than 7 million dollars in prizes in 47 convoked competitions and will be the main sport event of the year, besides being a thermometer for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, said IAAF in its webpage. Read More

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Piedad Cordoba Leaves Colombia after Death Threat

<p style="text-align: justify;">Bogota, Aug. 19 (Prensa Latina) Former Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba left the country after receiving a death threat, sources close to the human rights activist confirmed.Senator Ivan Cepeda, of the opposition Alternative Democratic Pole, said that Cordoba told him by telephone last night that she was leaving the country because the threats had intensified and her life was in immediate danger. Read More

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Pablo Milanes is already in Miami

<p style="text-align: justify;">August 19, 2011. The highly expected visit of the Cuban songwriter and singer Pablo Milanes is already a fact. The Cuban artist arrived in Miami yesterday to prepare his concert,scheduled to be next August 27. Hugo Cancio has not confirmed Milanes' presence in Miami and I presume it should be due to security reasons. Several exile groups have asked to cancel the Cuban singer's gig, the true thing is polemic continues to rise in Miami. Read More

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Number of Spanish citizens in Cuba growing fast

<p style="text-align: justify;">As the number of Spanish citizens in Cuba is growing fast, the Spanish government is opening a labor and immigration office at its consulate in Havana, efe reports. The number of Spanish citizens on the island mushroomed from 52,638 in January 2010 to 75,433 one year later. Although the group of Spanish-born expats in Cuba is growing slowly, most of the rise is due to Cubans with Spanish ancestry who applied for, and received, Spanish citizenship. Read More

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Sales of construction material expanding

<p style="text-align: justify;">The government expanded public sales of construction material this week, official news agency AIN reported.Gray cement type PP-250, in bulk or bags, and corrugated steel bars are now available for non-convertible pesos at 161 sales points and stores throughout the island, according to the Domestic Trade Ministry (Mincin). The move is part of a new policy to promote private construction and renovation. Read More

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Cuba raps US

<p style="text-align: justify;">August 19 2011 at 07:42pm.REUTERS. Storm clouds gather in the sky over Havana's City Capitol building. Havana, Cuba - The United States has resorted to “old, unprovable arguments” to keep Cuba on a US blacklist of countries that allegedly support terrorism, an official Cuban website charged Friday.“The news is well-worn: Since 1982, the US State Department has included the island on its annual blacklist and each year fattens its incoherent arguments,” an article on www.cubadebate.cu said. Read More

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Activist says Cuba flights need to be open to everyone

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Jodie Tillman, Times Staff Writer.Aug 19, 2011 04:28 PM.TAMPA — Next month, Tampa International Airport begins offering nonstop flights to Cuba.Activist Al Fox says that's great and he plans to go on one of the flights. But he wonders how long it can last if business depends primarily on Cuban-Americans visiting relatives."How is Tampa going to sustain three, four flights a week? It ain't going to happen," Fox said Friday at the Tiger Bay Club of Tampa's monthly meeting. "The business in Tampa will come when Anglo-Americans can buy a ticket on that plane. Read More

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Port Everglades courts ferry to Bahamas, later to Cuba?

<p style="text-align: justify;">By: Doreen Hemlock August 19th, 2011.Broward County’s Port Everglades is courting a Spanish company to operate fast-ferry service to and from the Bahamas.The Balearia company’s Bahamas Express ship, which can carry up to 463 passengers and up to 80 vehicles, docked at the Fort Lauderdale area seaport Thursday on a test run, port officials confirmed.The ship had been slated to start operations this summer between the Port of Miami and the island of Bimini in the Bahamas. Read More

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Nancy Reyes: capturing the soul of a ballerina

<p style="text-align: justify;">Mireya Castañeda. NANCY Reyes (Havana, Cuba 1953) is a very recognizable figure during the (NBC) National Ballet of Cuba’s seasons. She has gained that recognition through her constancy, a good eye, the enviable first seat in the front row, on the left hand side naturally, of the Gran Teatro’s Garcia Lorca auditorium in Havana.A quiet, smiling, generous colleague, she has developed the technical and stylistic quality of her photographs to the point of becoming an essential reference. She is already a member of the Cuban Photographic Image Fund and the Ibero-American Photography Fund. Read More

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