REGIONAL

Eastern Cuba jolted by moderate earthquake Saturday, February 13, 2010 (Reuters) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 rattled eastern Cuba on Friday but there were no reports of injuries or damage, authorities said. The quake was centred 60 miles (95 km) east-southeast of the city of Guantanamo, where the United States has its Guantanamo Naval Base. HAVANA, Cuba (Reuters) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 rattled eastern Cuba on Friday but there were no reports of injuries or damage, authorities said. The quake was centred 60 miles (95 km) east-southeast of the city of Guantanamo, where the United States has its Guantanamo Naval Base. read more... Washington fines Swiss bank for violating blockade of Cuba Saturday, December 19, 2009 HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) -- The US government has levied a fine of US$536 million on Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second largest bank, for carrying out transactions that violate the US blockade of Cuba and helped “enemies” of Washington such as Iran, Libya, Sudan and Burma. read more... Senate backs move to boost farm trade with Cuba Monday, December 14, 2009 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate approved a provision on Sunday to facilitate cash sales of US farm goods to Cuba, overturning restrictions by former President George W. Bush's administration, a senator said. The move follows efforts by President Barack Obama to improve relations with Communist-run Cuba. read more... US judge reduces Cuban spy's life jail sentence Wednesday, December 9, 2009 MIAMI, USA (Reuters) -- A US judge on Tuesday reduced the prison term for a Cuban spy from a life sentence to 30 years in a high-profile espionage case that has strained already hostile ties between Havana and Washington. A second convicted spy, Fernando Gonzalez was due to be resentenced later. read more... Spain wants EU-Cuba agreement in first half of 2010 Monday, November 30, 2009 BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) -- Spain will seek to establish a new bilateral agreement on EU-Cuba ties, including human rights, in the first half of 2010 when it will hold the EU's rotating presidency, its foreign minister said. Spain's Miguel Angel Moratinos stressed his country's intentions after a European Union meeting. read more... Cuba calls for more active role of developing countries in facing climate change Wednesday, November 25, 2009 HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) -- Cuba reiterated on Wednesday the need for more participation of developing nations in the world struggle to mitigate the effects of climate change. Speaking during an informal meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, the Cuban permanent representative, Pedro Nuñez Mosquera... read more... US, China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia elected to UN rights panel Wednesday, May 13, 2009 UNITED NATIONS (AFP) -- The United States on Tuesday was elected, along with China, Cuba and Saudi Arabia, to the UN Human Rights Council, a body shunned by the previous US administration for harboring notorious rights violators. But the secret balloting saw 20 countries contest the 18 seats up for grabs. read more... Cuba's contribution to Caribbean welcomed by Barbados minister Saturday, February 7, 2009 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS): Barbados’ Foreign Affairs Minister, Senator Maxine McClean, on Friday hailed the contribution that Cuba continues to make to Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean. Her commendations were made during a courtesy call from Cuba’s Ambassador to Barbados. read more... Charity Odyssey stalled in Caribbean Monday, January 26, 2009 KINGSTOWN, St Vincent: In a history making odyssey, film-maker Graham Hughes is traveling the globe in an attempt to break a world record for the fastest journey to every nation on Earth without flying, while raising £1,000,000 for the international non-profit organization WaterAid. read more... Atlantic hurricane season forecast is 'above-average' Thursday, December 11, 2008 (Bloomberg): Next year’s Atlantic hurricane season will be “somewhat above-average,” with 14 named storms, according to an annual Colorado State University forecast released Wednesday. Seven of the storms are predicted to become hurricanes, including three major storms with sustained winds of 111 mph. read more...