Cuban Badminton Striving to Improve

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Abdul Nasser Thabet, Norge Rafael Medina Guerrero and Thays Roque Arce. Practicing sports has always been associated with being in great physical shape to enable human beings to&nbsp; show their power and skills. Even though there are many sports that feature among the contemporary competitions, not all of them have obtained the same popularity and international recognition. Badminton is not included in the list of the most popular sports. It has a small audience and is hardly ever associated with those adrenalin-provoking sports that capture the attention of so many followers. Read More

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Biarritz Film Fest to Feature Cuba's San Antonio Film School

<p style="text-align: justify;">By: Jennifer Socorro Ramon.12:03Paris, Aug 2 (Prensa Latina) The Biarritz Film Festival in September will honor the International School of Cinema and Television in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba on its 25th anniversary. This year, the festival, which runs Sept. 26-Oct. 2, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. The festival will feature the screening of several short films by current or former students of the San Antonio School. Read More

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DeCubas Jr. expects Golden Boy to keep Saul Alvarez far away from Erislandy Lara

<p style="text-align: justify;">Chris Robinson.Las Vegas Boxing Examiner.August 1, 2011. On July 9th Cuban southpaw Erislandy Lara found himself in the biggest fight of his career in facing the tall and lanky former three-time champion Paul Williams at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Coming off of a majority draw with Carlos Molina in Las Vegas months prior, Lara was an underdog heading into the fight but produced a very game effort as he tagged Williams repeatedly with left hands and left the South Carolina native’s face a bloody mask. Read More

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Lorne Gunter: Cuba needs a day at the mall

<p style="text-align: justify;">Lorne Gunter. Aug 2, 2011. Reuters. A new day in Havana. Since taking over from his brother Fidel as head of the Cuban government in 2008, Raul Castro has slowly nudged his socialist country towards freer markets and more personal liberties. Monday, he and the Cuban parliament took yet another step down that road. Read More

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Alicia Alonso, the Bolshoi at Her Feet

<p style="text-align: justify;">By: Heidy Morin Rueda. 02 de agosto de 2011, 00:13.Moscow, Aug 2 (Prensa Latina) Director of the Cuban National Ballet, prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso, described her return to Moscow, where she will be honored, as "returning to the heart of a flower". In remarks to journalists, together with eight new figures of the company that she manages and Bolshoi dancers Svetlana Zajarova and Andrei Uravov, she highlighted the influence of the Russian school on the world and in particular on Cuban ballet. Read More

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Puerto Rico Alert to Passing of Tropical Storm Emily

<p style="text-align: justify;">By: Ileana Ferrer Fonte. martes, 02 de agosto de 2011. 09:48San Juan, Aug 2 (Prensa Latina) Governor Luis Fortuño announced Monday night the shutdown of all state offices except for those essential in case of emergency, as Tropical Storm Emily passes near Puerto Rico. Emily, located about 250 miles south of this Caribbean island, also led the government to decree a price freeze for basic products, including gasoline. Read More

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Cuba approves economic reform plan

<p style="text-align: justify;">The Cuban National Assembly has approved Communist Party proposals to overhaul the country's state-dominated economy and lift some restrictions on citizens' personal lives, according to state-run media. The plan, which includes more than 300 points, was first approved at a Communist Party congress in April and would end the socialist society built under Fidel Castro's leadership. Read More

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Cuba revising travel policies: Raul Castro

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Marc Frank. HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba will revise its travel and immigration rules as part of a broader reform of its economic and social policies, Cuban President Raul Castro said on Monday.He spoke after the Cuban Parliament approved Communist Party proposals to overhaul the country's stagnating, state-dominated economy and lift some restrictions on citizens' personal lives. Read More

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Gazprom Neft, Petronas Sign PSA With Cuba On 4 Off-Shore Blocks

<p style="text-align: justify;">By Alexander Kolyandr, Dow Jones Newswires. AUGUST 1, 2011, 8:17 A.M. ET. MOSCOW (Dow Jones)--Russian oil producer OAO Gazprom Neft (SIBN.RS), which is controlled by state gas company OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS), said Monday it has signed a product-sharing contract on four blocks in the Gulf of Mexico off-shore Cuba with Petronas (6033.KU), the Malaysian national oil company, and Cubapetroleo (Cupet), the Cuban national oil company. Read More

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Cuban lawmakers meet to consider economic changes

<p style="text-align: justify;">Monday, Aug. 1, 2011 11:36 a.m. MDT. By Peter Orsi, Associated Press. HAVANA, Cuba — Cuba's parliament began one of its business-packed twice-yearly sessions on Monday, a gathering that might enact some of the reforms that the government has promised in efforts to revive the stalled economy with a dose of private enterprise. General guidelines for the reforms were approved by the Communist Party at a summit in April, but there has been relatively little action since. The party is not a lawmaking body, so it is up to parliament to turn the recommendations into reality. Read More

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