CUBA: Intense Preparations for Military Parade

Part of the military arsenal that Cuba was forced to reconvert in order to adapt to new circumstances after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the island nation's main supplier, will be exhibited on Revolutionary Armed Forces Day Saturday, in Havana.

HEALTH-CUBA: Conquering Vaccines – and Their Markets

Deliberately putting human health before economic considerations, according to local experts, Cuba has launched full-tilt into the vaccine industry to compete on the international market with its products, some of which are unique.

LATIN AMERICA: Alternative Integration Is Better for People – Experts

In spite of fierce detractors, the Bolivarian Alternative of the Americas (ALBA) is a broader integration project for responding to the needs of Latin America, the region with the greatest social inequality in the world, than previous proposals, say experts.

COLOMBIA: ELN Leader Warns that Peace Process Will Be Lengthy

Although it is engaged in exploratory talks with the Colombian government, the National Liberation Army (ELN) believes its armed struggle remains legitimate as long as the deeper underlying causes of the country's civil war go unaddressed and the necessary transformations are not achieved.

CUBA: Women and Alcoholism, the Enemy of the Lonely

Each story is more heart-rending than the last, and they all have a common theme: alcohol destroyed these women's lives, sometimes with the help of other drugs, and now they are trying to rebuild them.

COLOMBIA: Demining Agreement, a Field Test for Peace

Mine clearance in the Colombian municipality of Samaniego, announced in Havana by Colombia's insurgent National Liberation Army (ELN), is important but not sufficient to overcome the humanitarian crisis, a human rights activist warned.

COLOMBIA: Rebels, Gov’t Urged to Tackle Plight of the Displaced

A draft agreement on forced displacement proposed by civil society groups to the Colombian government and the leftwing National Liberation Army (ELN) may open up possible solutions to one of the most serious problems generated by the armed conflict in Colombia.

CUBA-US: Embargo’s Boomerang Effect

Washington's embargo against Cuba also has an impact on the United States economy and prevents millions of U.S. citizens from benefiting from Cuban medical progress, according to a report released by the Cuban foreign ministry.

CUBA-RUSSIA: Pragmatism Marks Newly Strengthened Ties

Several agreements designed to bolster bilateral trade have breathed new life into relations between Cuba and Russia, in which the pragmatism of business has replaced the ideological affinities of the past.

CUBA: Redefining Non-Alliance in a Unipolar Context

As the fourteenth summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) draws near, host country Cuba is preparing to welcome 50 heads of state and government from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean with its vision of a revitalised bloc.

SCIENCE-CUBA: Two Decades of Biotech Advances

Since 1999 there haven't been any cases of hepatitis B amongst Cuban children ages five and under, thanks to a locally produced vaccine that is also being exported to 20 countries - the star among the products of this island nation's biotechnology industry, whose flagship institution was founded two decades ago.

Two Decades of Biotech Advances

The vaccine against hepatitis B is the star product of Cuban biotechnology, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. In November, scientists and investors from around the world will gather for a meeting in Havana.

CUBA: All Set for Non-Aligned Summit – With or Without Fidel

The fourteenth summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) could be the first major international meeting to be held in Havana without the active participation of President Fidel Castro, a staunch defender of this bloc of developing countries, which he presided over a quarter of a century ago.

POLITICS-CUBA: On a Drum and a Prayer

The drumbeats of Afro-Cuban religions have been pulsating in Cuba more than usual over the last few days, entwining with the prayers of Catholics and Protestants in the heavy August heat.

CUBA: Fidel Castro’s Succession Put to the Test

A statement by Cuban President Fidel Castro that was read on live TV late Monday announced that he was temporarily handing over power after a delicate surgical operation.

MEDIA: Workshop Eyes Millennium Goals Through Gender Lens

Journalists participating in a recent workshop found themselves scrambling when asked to define the words sex and gender - despite having frequently used the terms in their articles.

CUBA: Church Humanitarian Work to Feel Impact of US Plans

The latest plans by the U.S. government in its policy towards Cuba will have a heavy impact on the humanitarian efforts of religious organisations that work with needy sectors in this Caribbean island nation.

HUMAN RIGHTS-CUBA: Dissidents Predict Pre-Summit House-Cleaning

A decrease in the number of prisoners held for "political motives" in Cuba - down from 333 to 316 "documented" cases over the last six months - is "insignificant," says a local opposition organisation that issues weekly reports on human rights.

DEATH PENALTY-CUBA: Dissidents Call for Legal Moratorium

Moderate dissidents in Cuba urged the government of Fidel Castro to declare a legal moratorium on executions and announced that a campaign would be launched this year to raise public awareness on the issue.

LATIN AMERICA: Disasters Undercut Millennium Development Goals

If the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean don't work on reducing the risks of natural disasters they will fail to meet the United Nations Millennium Developent Goals, warn international experts.

ENERGY-LATIN AMERICA: Ethanol Is All the Rage

The countries of Latin America are turning more and more to plans for the use and development of ethanol, or alcohol made from sugar cane, as they are feeling an ever-pressing need to diversify their sources of energy for economic and environmental reasons.