Cuba Travel Services Announces New Flight Service from New York to Havana, Cuba

Cuba Travel Services, a leading authorized carrier service provider with offices in California and Florida, will now be offering direct flights from New York's JFK Airport to Havana, Cuba. Cuba Travel Services arranges flights operated by American Airlines and Sun Country Airlines to popular destinations including Havana, Cienfuegos, Camaguey, Santa Clara, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba.

Cuba Travel Services believes expanding its flight network will provide licensed travelers more options at a substantial savings. Currently, authorized passengers from the New Jersey/New York areas experience connection delays, additional baggage fees and extra domestic ticket costs when connecting to Cuba through Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Tampa.

Although Cuba Travel Services' initial request to operate flights to Havana from Newark Liberty International Airport was denied by local airport authorities, the JFK airport is easily accessible from New Jersey. This new market features one of the largest Cuban American populations in the States, second only to Florida.

In the spirit of the recent New York Times Editorial, published on October 11th, 2014 titled "Obama Should End the Embargo On Cuba", Cuba Travel Services chose to provide this important cultural and social link between the two cities. The new service will also offer a cost effective travel solution to those Cuban Americans seeking to visit their families on the island.

Cuban Desandann Group Ends Tour of U.S. and Canadian Cities

The Desandann vocal group, of Camagüey province, returned recently from a tour of cities of the States and Canada, where its members offered didactic concerts to promote the liking for and learning of Haitian culture.

Schools from primary to university level and churches welcomed the prestigious musicians, who, as descendants of Haitians, have devoted themselves to cultivate vocal singing in Creole language.

According to Emilia Diaz, its director, presentations at important university theaters of Alberta and Edmonton in Canada, and of Idaho and Wyoming in the United States, were accompanied by talks about different aspects of Desandann's artistic work.

The FAO Highlights Potential of Cuban Horticulture

Theodor Friedrich, representative to Havana of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), recently asserted on this capital that the island has potential to boost the production of vegetables and fresh spices destined to the population.

In statements to local ACN news agency, Mr. Friedrich underlined that this sector is one of the most developed in the use of technologies and know-how, although more efforts are needed in the production of seeds and the supply of consumables, without discontinuing the expansion of know-how in producers throughout the country.

Friedrich attended the 2nd International Congress on Horticulture, held at the Habana Riviera Hotel, along with some 110 experts of Mexico, France, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Spain and Cuba.

Prime Minister of Guinea Bissau Interested in Cooperation with Cuba

Expanding Cuban cooperation with Guinea Bissau in health and agriculture and starting others in fields like naval construction was the interest expressed in this capital by Domingos Simoes Pereira, Prime Minister of that nation of West Africa.

We'll try to cooperate with Cuba and receive support in all areas of mutual interest, said the visitor after placing a wreath by the bust of Amilcar Cabral at the African National Heroes Park, in Playa municipality, west of Havana.
In the ceremony to pay tribute to Cabral, Simoes was accompanied by Oslayda Cabrera, director for Africa and the Middle East of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples.

The African nation has had diplomatic relations with Cuba for more than four decades, during which it has benefited from cooperation in decisive spheres of social impact, like health, education and sports.

After his arrival in Havana last week, the 51-year old civil and industrial engineer carried out a program of visits to places of interest and shared contacts with Cuban authorities, before returning to his country.

Cuban and Argentinean Institutions Interested in Projects

Academic and scientific institutions of Cuba and Argentina expressed on Tuesday in this capital their intention to concrete projects for the development of products of great social impact, like biomaterials and medicaments.

At the Main Lecture Hall of the University of Havana (UH) they expressed such interest, on the one hand the UH and the Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) and on the other the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) and the National University of La Plata (UNLP), the two of them of that South American country.

Luis Montero, president of the Scientific Council of the UH, said that over the next few days talks will be held to negotiate fruitful and permanent work alliances in areas of interest for the two nations.

After talking about the potential of CONICET, Doctor Roberto Carlos Salvarezza, its president, highlighted the importance of these exchanges for the scientific and economic development of Cuba and Argentina.

He recalled that in 2009 they signed an agreement with CIGB, which favored the existence today of five projects in execution, one of them related to therapy against cancer.

Raul Anibal Perdomo, rector of the UNLP, underlined the need to encourage relations between the two universities, "since there are many spaces on both sides to share and enrich."

We should find our own strengths, he said, while referring to current advantages in the region, and pointed out that there's a favorable context for cooperation in spheres like the production of medicaments and biomaterials.