Leaders of the dissident group Ladies in White asked the Catholic Church on Tuesday to intervene before the Cuban government to end what they described as violent acts against them and other human rights activists.
Cuban President Raul Castro is increasingly impatient with the slow implementation of his economic reforms, which he publicly blames mostly on bureaucratic sloth and resistance to change.
Cuban revenue from tourism jumped 13% percent in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2010, the National Statistics Office, or ONE, reported on its Web site.
Cuba will broaden private retail service beyond beauty parlours and barbers in October to include everything from coffee shops to locksmiths, and may even rent space on busy streets, an official told parliament.
Air travel between the United States and Cuba will become easier with the opening of charter flights to the island from an additional nine US cities announced by Cuba authorities on Friday.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he was preparing for a second round of chemotherapy treatment in Cuba to eliminate the risk of malignant cells. Last weekend, Chavez flew back to Cuba for chemotherapy after delegating limited powers to his finance minister and vice president.
Cuba is forced to import more than 400,000 tons of rice each year, 60% of the total amount of this dietary staple consumed on the island, according to official figures published Sunday by the daily Juventud Rebelde.
Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez will run for re-election next year despite his struggle with cancer said Finance Minister Jorge Giordani who underlined there’s no Plan B. Giordani’s statement came as the populist leader is in Cuba undergoing chemotherapy and twitted to his compatriots his “insurmountable optimism”.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez delegated some powers to his vice president and finance minister on Saturday, hours before a planned departure to Cuba for cancer treatment.
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez made a surprise homecoming on Monday after cancer surgery in Cuba and declared himself fine despite speculation he may still require lengthy treatment.