With cries of "Viva Felipe!" and "Viva Espana!" Cubans greeted King Felipe in Old Havana, the first state visit ever by a Spanish monarch to Cuba, Spain's former colony turned Communist-run nation.

Earlier in the day, Felipe and his wife Letizia laid flowers at the monument in Havana to Jose Marti, a symbol of Cuba's struggle for independence from Spain, before meeting with President Miguel Diaz-Canel in the Palace of the Revolution.

The king then held closed-door conversations with Diaz-Canel during which they agreed to further develop positive bilateral political and economic relations, according to Cuban state-run media. Spain is Cuba's third-largest trading partner and one of its top investors.

The visit illustrates the normalization of Europe's relations with Cuba even as the United States doubles down on a decades-old policy of seeking to force the government to reform by tightening its crippling trade embargo.

Some Spanish politicians and Cuban dissidents have criticized the trip, saying it legitimises Cuba's one-party system at a time of increased repression.

Yet many locals are grateful for what they see as a sign of support for the Cuban people, struggling with a crisis in the inefficient state-run economy in the wake of a decline of support from ally Venezuela and increased U.S. sanctions.

"Spain remains our parent nation and we identify a lot with it, so their visit is very important to us," said Havana resident Maria Pazos, whose paternal great-grandparents came from Catalonia. "It's also a reaffirmation that we are not alone, that we have support."

Historic and family bonds have long underpinned Cuban-Spanish relations, sometimes regardless of the political flavour of the moment. Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, for example, whose father was a Spanish immigrant, had surprisingly good relations with former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

The royal visit was timed so the couple could take part in the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Cuban capital by a Spanish conquistador. Havana was once one of the most important cities in the Spanish empire, providing a port for its treasure fleet.

Diaz-Canel's wife Lis Cuesta took Letizia on a tour of Old Havana that has received a facelift since the 1990s and is considered an architectural jewel due to its mix of colonial, Art Deco and neoclassical styles.

Felipe later joined Letizia at the cathedral, which previously housed the remains of explorer Christopher Columbus, whose encounter with Cuba in the service of the Spanish crown led to it being colonized by the Spaniards. The remains of Columbus were moved to Spain after Cuba became independent of that country in the 1890s.

With cries of "Viva Felipe!" and "Viva Espana!" Cubans greeted King Felipe in Old Havana, the first state visit ever by a Spanish monarch to Cuba, Spain's former colony turned Communist-run nation.

With cries of "Viva Felipe!" and "Viva Espana!" Cubans greeted King Felipe in Old Havana, the first state visit ever by a Spanish monarch to Cuba, Spain's former colony turned Communist-run nation. Earlier in the day, Felipe and his wife Letizia laid flowers at the monument in Havana to Jose Marti, a symbol of Cuba's struggle for independence from Spain, before meeting with President Miguel Diaz-Canel in the Palace of the Revolution. The king then held closed-door conversations with Diaz-Canel during which they agreed to further develop positive bilateral political and economic relations, according to Cuban state-run media. Spain is Cuba's third-largest trading partner and one of its top investors. The visit illustrates the normalization of Europe's relations with Cuba even as the United States doubles down on a decades-old policy of seeking to force the government to reform by tightening its crippling trade embargo. Some Spanish politicians and Cuban dissidents have criticized the trip, saying it legitimises Cuba's one-party system at a time of increased repression. Yet many locals are grateful for what they see as a sign of support for the Cuban people, struggling with a crisis in the inefficient state-run economy in the wake of a decline of support from ally Venezuela and increased U.S. sanctions. "Spain remains our parent nation and we identify a lot with it, so their visit is very important to us," said Havana resident Maria Pazos, whose paternal great-grandparents came from Catalonia. "It's also a reaffirmation that we are not alone, that we have support." Historic and family bonds have long underpinned Cuban-Spanish relations, sometimes regardless of the political flavour of the moment. Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, for example, whose father was a Spanish immigrant, had surprisingly good relations with former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. The royal visit was timed so the couple could take part in the celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Cuban capital by a Spanish conquistador. Havana was once one of the most important cities in the Spanish empire, providing a port for its treasure fleet. Diaz-Canel's wife Lis Cuesta took Letizia on a tour of Old Havana that has received a facelift since the 1990s and is considered an architectural jewel due to its mix of colonial, Art Deco and neoclassical styles. Felipe later joined Letizia at the cathedral, which previously housed the remains of explorer Christopher Columbus, whose encounter with Cuba in the service of the Spanish crown led to it being colonized by the Spaniards. The remains of Columbus were moved to Spain after Cuba became independent of that country in the 1890s.

'Viva Felipe!': Communist-run Cuba welcomes Spanish king

Cuba's 37th annual International Trade Fair of Havana opened on Monday (November 04), bringing together some 4,000 entrepreneurs from 60 nations around the world, amid strong sanctions from the US government to the local economy and government liquidity problems to pay foreign suppliers.

Cuba's annual International Trade Fair opens in Havana, amid US sanctions

The United States will suspend all scheduled flights to Cuba except to its capital Havana, authorities said Friday, as US President Donald Trump pushes to dismantle the rapprochement begun by his predecessor Barack Obama.

The suspension, which goes into effect December 10, was announced by the Department of Transportation and affects nine airports on the island nation.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked the Transportation Department for the suspension as a means to "further the administration's policy of strengthening the economic consequences to the Cuban regime for its ongoing repression of the Cuban people and its support for (President) Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela."

The Trump administration accuses Cuba of aiding and abetting crisis-wracked Venezuela, which is Havana's closest ally.

Cuba rejected the measure and vowed that it would fail, with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez stating that "concessions will not be taken from us."

Trump has moved to roll back steps toward normal relations and business ties that were established under Obama, who made moves to diminish five decades of Cold War tension and sanctions between the neighbours.

American, Delta and JetBlue airlines will be affected by the deadline to halt operations to destinations such as Santiago de Cuba, the country's second-largest city, as well as Camaguey and the sprawling mega-resort of Varadero.

Cash-strapped Cuba depends heavily on tourism earnings to fund its government, the only one-party Communist state in the Americas.

Havana already has trimmed its 2019 tourism target by 15 per cent to 4.3 million visitors.

The United States still maintains its economic embargo on Havana, which only can be ended by the US Congress.

But it has allowed exceptions, such as cruise ship visits, which must have an educational underpinning in order to go to the island.

Some 900,000 tourists visited the island on cruise ships last year, and almost 40 per cent were American, according to official data.

The charter flights on which many Cuban-Americans travel to Cuba from Miami are not affected by the change.

Commercial flights to Cuba began under the Obama administration in 2016.&nbsp;

The United States will suspend all scheduled flights to Cuba except to its capital Havana, authorities said Friday, as US President Donald Trump pushes to dismantle the rapprochement begun by his predecessor Barack Obama.

The United States will suspend all scheduled flights to Cuba except to its capital Havana, authorities said Friday, as US President Donald Trump pushes to dismantle the rapprochement begun by his predecessor Barack Obama. The suspension, which goes into effect December 10, was announced by the Department of Transportation and affects nine airports on the island nation. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked the Transportation Department for the suspension as a means to "further the administration's policy of strengthening the economic consequences to the Cuban regime for its ongoing repression of the Cuban people and its support for (President) Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela." The Trump administration accuses Cuba of aiding and abetting crisis-wracked Venezuela, which is Havana's closest ally. Cuba rejected the measure and vowed that it would fail, with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez stating that "concessions will not be taken from us." Trump has moved to roll back steps toward normal relations and business ties that were established under Obama, who made moves to diminish five decades of Cold War tension and sanctions between the neighbours. American, Delta and JetBlue airlines will be affected by the deadline to halt operations to destinations such as Santiago de Cuba, the country's second-largest city, as well as Camaguey and the sprawling mega-resort of Varadero. Cash-strapped Cuba depends heavily on tourism earnings to fund its government, the only one-party Communist state in the Americas. Havana already has trimmed its 2019 tourism target by 15 per cent to 4.3 million visitors. The United States still maintains its economic embargo on Havana, which only can be ended by the US Congress. But it has allowed exceptions, such as cruise ship visits, which must have an educational underpinning in order to go to the island. Some 900,000 tourists visited the island on cruise ships last year, and almost 40 per cent were American, according to official data. The charter flights on which many Cuban-Americans travel to Cuba from Miami are not affected by the change. Commercial flights to Cuba began under the Obama administration in 2016.

United States to end scheduled flights to all Cuban airports except Havana

Hundreds of tourists from the deck of a cruise ship waved goodbye to Havana on Wednesday (June 05) in what could be the last trip for U.S. cruise operators after the administration of United States' President Donald Trump slapped new travel bans on Cuba.

Rough waters for Cuban tourism after Trump travel ban

Cuban police on Saturday broke up an unauthorised pro-LGBT rights march in Havana, held as an alternative to the government-sanctioned <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/cuba-suspends-gay-parade-216962">Gay Rights parade</a> that authorities cancelled earlier in the week.

To the cries of "Yes we can!" the demonstrators, several waving rainbow flags and carrying signs with slogans like "Diverse Cuba," managed to march a mere 400 meters along Havana's downtown Paseo del Prado before being dispersed by police.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists, numbering around 100, were protesting the cancellation of the parade against homophobia organised by the government's National Center for Sexual Education (Cenesex), an office under the Ministry of Health, and held for the past ten years.

The colourful parade, or "conga," used to kick off activities educating people about homophobia and transphobia that is nevertheless taking place.

At least three protesters who refused to obey orders to leave were arrested, according to AFP journalists.

Laydel Alfonso, a 31-year-old restaurant waiter who marched with his face concealed by a silver mask and waving a rainbow flag, was upset that police had broken up the march.

"I don't believe this is right because we're doing nothing wrong," he told AFP.

In a first for Cuba, where there is tight government control, the march was organised on social media.

Cenesex is led by lawmaker Mariela Castro, the daughter of former president Raul Castro, who at the age of 87 is still the first secretary of the island's ruling Communist Party.

Earlier in the week, Cenesex announced that the official march was cancelled due to unspecified "new tensions in the international and regional context." The office urged people to respect the official calls for unity.

Cuban police on Saturday broke up an unauthorised pro-LGBT rights march in Havana, held as an alternative to the government-sanctioned Gay Rights parade that authorities cancelled earlier in the week.

Cuban police on Saturday broke up an unauthorised pro-LGBT rights march in Havana, held as an alternative to the government-sanctioned Gay Rights parade that authorities cancelled earlier in the week. To the cries of "Yes we can!" the demonstrators, several waving rainbow flags and carrying signs with slogans like "Diverse Cuba," managed to march a mere 400 meters along Havana's downtown Paseo del Prado before being dispersed by police. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists, numbering around 100, were protesting the cancellation of the parade against homophobia organised by the government's National Center for Sexual Education (Cenesex), an office under the Ministry of Health, and held for the past ten years. The colourful parade, or "conga," used to kick off activities educating people about homophobia and transphobia that is nevertheless taking place. At least three protesters who refused to obey orders to leave were arrested, according to AFP journalists. Laydel Alfonso, a 31-year-old restaurant waiter who marched with his face concealed by a silver mask and waving a rainbow flag, was upset that police had broken up the march. "I don't believe this is right because we're doing nothing wrong," he told AFP. In a first for Cuba, where there is tight government control, the march was organised on social media. Cenesex is led by lawmaker Mariela Castro, the daughter of former president Raul Castro, who at the age of 87 is still the first secretary of the island's ruling Communist Party. Earlier in the week, Cenesex announced that the official march was cancelled due to unspecified "new tensions in the international and regional context." The office urged people to respect the official calls for unity.

Cuban police break up unauthorised LGBT rights march in Havana

Cuban authorities on Tuesday announced that the most important event of the gay community in Cuba will be suspended and will not take place this year.

Cuba suspends gay parade

The number of people killed in the powerful tornado that ripped through part of Havana last week has risen to six, authorities said Sunday.&nbsp;

Public Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda said in state media that "sadly, two people have died among the 13 who were in critical condition." The earlier death toll was four.

The storm which hit Havana area towns including Regla, Guanabacoa, San Miguel de Padron and 10 de Octubre late January 27, has been confirmed as an F4 storm, with F5 the strongest.&nbsp;

Its powerful winds overturned trees and homes and cars, and several areas a number of blocks wide were all but wiped off the map.

The number of people killed in the powerful tornado that ripped through part of Havana last week has risen to six, authorities said Sunday. Public Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda said in state media that "sadly, two people have died among the 13 who were in critical condition.

The number of people killed in the powerful tornado that ripped through part of Havana last week has risen to six, authorities said Sunday. Public Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda said in state media that "sadly, two people have died among the 13 who were in critical condition." The earlier death toll was four. The storm which hit Havana area towns including Regla, Guanabacoa, San Miguel de Padron and 10 de Octubre late January 27, has been confirmed as an F4 storm, with F5 the strongest. Its powerful winds overturned trees and homes and cars, and several areas a number of blocks wide were all but wiped off the map.

Death toll in Cuba tornado rises to six

A rare and powerful tornado that struck Havana killed three people and left 172 injured, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said early Monday.

Diaz-Canel, who toured the darkened streets of Havana in the pre-dawn hours visiting emergency crews, wrote on Twitter that damage to the Cuban capital from the late Sunday tornado was "severe."

The tornado overturned vehicles, uprooted trees, knocked down lampposts, and left part of the city in the dark.

In the city's Luyano neighbourhood storm debris -- including parts of a balcony ripped off an old building -- &nbsp;blocked the streets, AFP photographers reported.

As emergency sirens blared across the city, firefighters and ambulances rushed about on rescue missions, their flashing lights giving light to blacked out areas.

"Aas of now we mourn the loss of three human lives and 172 injured people are receiving aid", Diaz-Canel tweeted.&nbsp;

He added that several emergency teams were working hard to restore power to blacked-out areas.

At the Hijas de Galicia maternity hospital staff were forced to evacuate the building due to storm damage.

The tornado, spawned by a powerful storm that originated in the Gulf of Mexico, hit western Cuba with winds of up to 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour.

People described the tornado as having "the sound of a jet engine," and reported feeling changes in the environmental pressure when it arrived, Armando Caymares with the Institute of Meteorology said.

The tornado "caught me in the street, in the car with my wife and children," actor Luis "Panfilo" Silva wrote on his social media account.

"I had to dodge fallen trees, flooded areas and strong winds until I managed to get home. We experienced great fear," he wrote.

A rare and powerful tornado that struck Havana killed three people and left 172 injured, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said early Monday. Diaz-Canel, who toured the darkened streets of Havana in the pre-dawn hours visiting emergency crews, wrote on Twitter that damage to the Cuban capital from the late Sunday tornado was "severe.

A rare and powerful tornado that struck Havana killed three people and left 172 injured, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said early Monday. Diaz-Canel, who toured the darkened streets of Havana in the pre-dawn hours visiting emergency crews, wrote on Twitter that damage to the Cuban capital from the late Sunday tornado was "severe." The tornado overturned vehicles, uprooted trees, knocked down lampposts, and left part of the city in the dark. In the city's Luyano neighbourhood storm debris -- including parts of a balcony ripped off an old building -- blocked the streets, AFP photographers reported. As emergency sirens blared across the city, firefighters and ambulances rushed about on rescue missions, their flashing lights giving light to blacked out areas. "Aas of now we mourn the loss of three human lives and 172 injured people are receiving aid", Diaz-Canel tweeted. He added that several emergency teams were working hard to restore power to blacked-out areas. At the Hijas de Galicia maternity hospital staff were forced to evacuate the building due to storm damage. The tornado, spawned by a powerful storm that originated in the Gulf of Mexico, hit western Cuba with winds of up to 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour. People described the tornado as having "the sound of a jet engine," and reported feeling changes in the environmental pressure when it arrived, Armando Caymares with the Institute of Meteorology said. The tornado "caught me in the street, in the car with my wife and children," actor Luis "Panfilo" Silva wrote on his social media account. "I had to dodge fallen trees, flooded areas and strong winds until I managed to get home. We experienced great fear," he wrote.

Three dead, 172 injured in Havana tornado

The Recording Academy recently announced the first group of artists to perform at the 2019 Grammy Awards.

Grammy nominees Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Post Malone, Shawn Mendes, Dan + Shay, Janelle Monae and Kacey Musgraves will perform at this year's award ceremony, reported Variety.

Cabello will make her Grammy performance debut at the award ceremony where she has been nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance `Havana [Live]`&nbsp;and Best Pop Vocal Album 'Camila'.

Cardi B is nominated for Record of the Year `I Like It`, Album of the Year `Invasion of Privacy`, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Maroon 5 `Girls Like You`, Best Rap Performance `Be Careful`, and Best Rap Album `Invasion Of Privacy`.

Mendes will also be performing at the Grammy for the first time, where he`ll be vying for Song Of The Year `In My Blood`&nbsp;and Best Pop Vocal Album Shawn Mendes.

Two-time nominee Monae is nominated for Album Of The Year `Dirty Computer`&nbsp;and Best Music Video `Pynk`.

First-time Grammy nominees Dan + Shay are up for Best Country Duo/Group Performance `Tequila`.

First-time nominee Malone has received four nominations, Record Of The Year `Rockstar` with 21 Savage, Album Of The Year `Beerbongs &amp; Bentleys`, Best Pop Solo Performance `Better Now`, and Best Rap/Sung Performance `Rockstar`.

Musgraves is up for four awards: Album of the Year `Golden Hour`, Best Country Solo Performance `Butterflies`, Best Country Song `Space Cowboy`, and Best Country Album `Golden Hour`.

The big night will be hosted by Alicia Keys at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which will air on CBS on February 10, 2019.

The Recording Academy recently announced the first group of artists to perform at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Grammy nominees Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Post Malone, Shawn Mendes, Dan + Shay, Janelle Monae and Kacey Musgraves will perform at this year's award ceremony, reported Variety.

The Recording Academy recently announced the first group of artists to perform at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Grammy nominees Camila Cabello, Cardi B, Post Malone, Shawn Mendes, Dan + Shay, Janelle Monae and Kacey Musgraves will perform at this year's award ceremony, reported Variety. Cabello will make her Grammy performance debut at the award ceremony where she has been nominated for Best Pop Solo Performance `Havana [Live]` and Best Pop Vocal Album 'Camila'. Cardi B is nominated for Record of the Year `I Like It`, Album of the Year `Invasion of Privacy`, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Maroon 5 `Girls Like You`, Best Rap Performance `Be Careful`, and Best Rap Album `Invasion Of Privacy`. Mendes will also be performing at the Grammy for the first time, where he`ll be vying for Song Of The Year `In My Blood` and Best Pop Vocal Album Shawn Mendes. Two-time nominee Monae is nominated for Album Of The Year `Dirty Computer` and Best Music Video `Pynk`. First-time Grammy nominees Dan + Shay are up for Best Country Duo/Group Performance `Tequila`. First-time nominee Malone has received four nominations, Record Of The Year `Rockstar` with 21 Savage, Album Of The Year `Beerbongs & Bentleys`, Best Pop Solo Performance `Better Now`, and Best Rap/Sung Performance `Rockstar`. Musgraves is up for four awards: Album of the Year `Golden Hour`, Best Country Solo Performance `Butterflies`, Best Country Song `Space Cowboy`, and Best Country Album `Golden Hour`. The big night will be hosted by Alicia Keys at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which will air on CBS on February 10, 2019.

Cardi B, Shawn Mendes to perform at Grammy Awards 2019

Havana floods as large waves crash over sea wall

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/cuba-defends-controversial-arts-decree-but-seeks-consensus-on-norms-182401">Cuba</a>'s government admitted on Friday that it won't be able to pay all its debt commitments in 2019, blaming Hurricane Irma and the United States sanctions for its woes.

"In 2019, we'll have less credit than the amount of debt we're planning to pay," said finance minister Alejandro Gil during a parliamentary session.

"There will be a level of debt that we won't be able to pay next year and this will affect the performance of the economy."

"There is a high level of debt in the economy that creates daily tensions."

"We've been looking for specific solutions but it's affecting the harmonious performance of the economy."

Gil insisted that Cuba's new loans would be marginally lower than the existing debts it will pay off, meaning that "we won't be increasing our level of debt."

Cuba recently defaulted on a part of its debt with Brazil and is behind in reimbursing another portion related to the construction of a port and purchase of food.

Havana blames these delays on the effects of Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in early September 2017, and a hardening US embargo that hinders its international financial transactions.

Cuba's government has said the economy grew by 1.2 per cent in 2018.

Cuba's government admitted on Friday that it won't be able to pay all its debt commitments in 2019, blaming Hurricane Irma and the United States sanctions for its woes.

Cuba's government admitted on Friday that it won't be able to pay all its debt commitments in 2019, blaming Hurricane Irma and the United States sanctions for its woes. "In 2019, we'll have less credit than the amount of debt we're planning to pay," said finance minister Alejandro Gil during a parliamentary session. "There will be a level of debt that we won't be able to pay next year and this will affect the performance of the economy." "There is a high level of debt in the economy that creates daily tensions." "We've been looking for specific solutions but it's affecting the harmonious performance of the economy." Gil insisted that Cuba's new loans would be marginally lower than the existing debts it will pay off, meaning that "we won't be increasing our level of debt." Cuba recently defaulted on a part of its debt with Brazil and is behind in reimbursing another portion related to the construction of a port and purchase of food. Havana blames these delays on the effects of Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in early September 2017, and a hardening US embargo that hinders its international financial transactions. Cuba's government has said the economy grew by 1.2 per cent in 2018.

Cuba says unable to pay off debt commitments in 2019

Hollywood star Will Smith runs Havana marathon in Cuba

Cuba has a new leader, Miguel Diaz-Canel. But former President Raul Castro remains in a position of control over the key drivers of the country’s economy.

For the first time in almost 60 years, a Castro is no longer Cuba’s head of state. On April 19, Miguel Diaz-Canel was sworn in as Cuba’s president, elevated from his previous role as first vice president.

He has promised to modernize the country’s social and economic model, including dismantling its dual-currency system and leveraging the internet for greater good, but he also committed to retaining its socialist trappings.

However, many Cubans are skeptical of how much good Diaz-Canel could bring them and, in fact, are worried about making ends meet in the new regime, according to experts who spoke to Knowledge@Wharton.

The dual currency system has a Cuban convertible peso (CUC) that is pegged to the dollar, and a Cuban peso (CUP) that is worth 1/24th of the CUC. The Cuban peso is used to pay state salaries and to set most domestic prices, while the convertible peso is used by tourists and multinational firms.

Diaz-Canel has limited powers because his predecessor Raul Castro will continue to head the Communist Party of Cuba and control the military that runs much of the country’s businesses.

Raul Castro fought with his brother Fidel in the revolution that swept them into power in 1959 and served as Cuba’s president for a decade after Fidel Castro stepped down in 2008.

Among the other challenges that Diaz-Canel will face is an increasingly complicated relationship with the US, as the Trump administration has moved to roll back Obama-era policies that promoted renewed relations and business engagement with the island nation.

More of the same

“While there is a change of leadership in name, there may not be that much of a change in philosophy,” said Gustavo Arnavat, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, and a former Obama administration official who represented the US at the Inter-American Development Bank.

Arnavat noted that Diaz-Canel has stressed that continuity will be the theme for the transition. “Things will continue in the same direction as laid out by Raul Castro in the last 10 years or so,” he said. “There is no great optimism that Miguel Diaz-Canel is going to be a major reformer who will [bring] a new day of liberties — both commercial as well as political — on the island.”

Diaz-Canel’s ascension as president is not exactly “a major event,” but he will be the face of many economic changes that will “impoverish Cubans,” according to Lillian Guerra, professor of Cuban and Caribbean history at the University of Florida. “It represents an effort on the part of Raul to shift blame for a number of policy changes that are coming down the pike that will be tremendously unpopular,” she said. “This is a strategic move and a pragmatic move, [but] it is not a shift towards liberalization. On the contrary, it is an effort to ensure continuity and stability.”

Cuba has undergone numerous transitions over the last 25 years, including the end of the Soviet bloc, Fidel Castro’s illness, his transfer of power to Raul and his subsequent death in 2016, noted Richard Gioioso, professor and director of the Latin American studies program at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. “The system has proven itself to be adaptable and resilient,” he said. “I’m not convinced that leadership will really change since Raul will sit atop the Communist Party.”

Arnavat, Guerra and Gioioso discussed the challenges facing Diaz-Canel and Cubans on the Knowledge@Wharton show on SiriusXM channel 111.

Harsh times ahead

Diaz-Canel inherits all of the challenges that Raul Castro was facing, such as a stagnant economy and unhappiness among Cubans over their standard of living, Arnavat noted. “They are expecting structural reforms that will allow them to have better lives,” he said.

Guerra highlighted two major changes that will hit Cubans hard in the Diaz-Canel presidency. One is the end of the dual-currency system, which “will impoverish Cubans even further because those items and goods sold in pesos, which is what they get paid in, will now be sold in dollars,” she said.

The other is Diaz-Canel giving effect to Raul Castro’s threat since 2011 to end the ration system that enables Cubans to get subsidized bread, rice and other food items. “Most Cubans get most of their calories from the rations they have been getting since 1962,” although it has been “highly diminished” over the years as the government discontinued rations for several food items, Guerra said. “Cubans have been terrified of this process. Diaz-Canel will be the face of that.”

Reining in entrepreneurs

The Cuban state has wrestled with the rise of the entrepreneurial class in the country after 1992 when it first allowed people to be self-employed because the state couldn’t provide full employment, said Guerra. “The Cuban state has seen the entrepreneurial sector as its primary rival for the tourist dollar but also as a competitor for control of public discourse,” she added.

In 2017, Raul Castro also attempted to rein in the entrepreneurial class by declaring a moratorium on further licensing for self-employed workers. “He declared it had been an error to expand [the entrepreneurial] sector to the degree that it had,” Guerra noted. Cuba’s parliament last July passed updated economic guidelines that said a “concentration of property and financial and material wealth” wouldn’t be permitted in the non-state sector, the Miami Herald reported.

Expanded internet access helped grow the entrepreneurial class, especially in tourism with the growth of Airbnb and bed-and-breakfast businesses. But the state also saw it as a threat, Guerra explained. Raul Castro has responded by threatening to “increasingly police the internet, and shut down bloggers,” she said. “He would do whatever it took — in fact, he used the word censorship — to ensure that there would be control of information.”

Crimps on real estate

The end of the dual currency system will also hurt Cuba’s real estate market, and that is also a matter of concern for many Cubans, said Gioioso. Investors including Cuban Americans in South Florida and elsewhere in the US, in addition to Cubans living in Spain and Mexico, have thronged Cuba’s real estate markets, and “a significant amount of [that] foreign investment is through irregular ways,” he added. Without the dual currency system, much of the foreign investment that was possible through the dollar-linked CUC will face constraints, he said.

A crackdown on errant real estate market practices could hurt some powerful interest groups, too. Guerra said that after Cuba legalized real estate sales in November 2011, remittances from Cubans living overseas jumped, and currently account for more than a billion dollars annually. Much of that money found its way into real estate purchases.

Cuba’s generals and CEOs of state corporations that work with foreign investors also invested in real estate because “they needed someplace to put their millions,” she added. “At all levels, this appears very much like a traditional military dictatorship. So, there is a lot to be worried about here.”

Resetting ties with the US

Diaz-Canel will also have to think of new ways to engage with the Trump administration, said Arnavat. “If he wants to have a better relationship with the U.S., he has to figure out a way to give something to Donald Trump that will be of interest in order for Trump to be able to open up again and want to do a deal with Cuba.”

The Trump administration’s rhetoric over unwinding Obama’s pro-Cuba gestures has not been matched with action, apart from a few rollbacks. Some 80-90% of the more liberal regulations introduced under Barack Obama remain in place, said Arnavat.

Gioioso said the Obama administration brought optimism among Cubans about how openness with the US would create better bilateral relations and increase tourism revenues to Cuba.

However, Trump’s rollback of some of the Obama-era normalization policies “creates more confusion than anything else,” and the outlook on that front will depend on how the Trump administration articulates its Cuba policy, he added.&nbsp;

Diaz-Canel’s ability to correct any of Cuba’s woes is limited. Guerra noted that as head of the army, Raul Castro is also CEO of GAESA, the army’s business conglomerate. GAESA controls roughly 60% of the country’s economy through its various arms, including the Gaviota hotel chain and TRD, the military retail chain.

“These are state companies that work with foreign investors in a neo-liberal trade regime of assembly plants and free trade zones on the island that take advantage of poor and very cheap labor,” Guerra said. “And they also rake in billions of dollars in tourism. The real power resides in who controls the economy and who controls the military, and that remains Raul Castro.”

(This article was originally published on <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/">Fair Observer</a>. Read the original <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/latin_america/cuba-raul-castro-miguel-diaz-canel-world-news-34099/">article</a>.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Cuba has a new leader, Miguel Diaz-Canel. But former President Raul Castro remains in a position of control over the key drivers of the country’s economy

Cuba has a new leader, Miguel Diaz-Canel. But former President Raul Castro remains in a position of control over the key drivers of the country’s economy. For the first time in almost 60 years, a Castro is no longer Cuba’s head of state. On April 19, Miguel Diaz-Canel was sworn in as Cuba’s president, elevated from his previous role as first vice president. He has promised to modernize the country’s social and economic model, including dismantling its dual-currency system and leveraging the internet for greater good, but he also committed to retaining its socialist trappings. However, many Cubans are skeptical of how much good Diaz-Canel could bring them and, in fact, are worried about making ends meet in the new regime, according to experts who spoke to Knowledge@Wharton. The dual currency system has a Cuban convertible peso (CUC) that is pegged to the dollar, and a Cuban peso (CUP) that is worth 1/24th of the CUC. The Cuban peso is used to pay state salaries and to set most domestic prices, while the convertible peso is used by tourists and multinational firms. Diaz-Canel has limited powers because his predecessor Raul Castro will continue to head the Communist Party of Cuba and control the military that runs much of the country’s businesses. Raul Castro fought with his brother Fidel in the revolution that swept them into power in 1959 and served as Cuba’s president for a decade after Fidel Castro stepped down in 2008. Among the other challenges that Diaz-Canel will face is an increasingly complicated relationship with the US, as the Trump administration has moved to roll back Obama-era policies that promoted renewed relations and business engagement with the island nation. More of the same “While there is a change of leadership in name, there may not be that much of a change in philosophy,” said Gustavo Arnavat, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, and a former Obama administration official who represented the US at the Inter-American Development Bank. Arnavat noted that Diaz-Canel has stressed that continuity will be the theme for the transition. “Things will continue in the same direction as laid out by Raul Castro in the last 10 years or so,” he said. “There is no great optimism that Miguel Diaz-Canel is going to be a major reformer who will [bring] a new day of liberties — both commercial as well as political — on the island.” Diaz-Canel’s ascension as president is not exactly “a major event,” but he will be the face of many economic changes that will “impoverish Cubans,” according to Lillian Guerra, professor of Cuban and Caribbean history at the University of Florida. “It represents an effort on the part of Raul to shift blame for a number of policy changes that are coming down the pike that will be tremendously unpopular,” she said. “This is a strategic move and a pragmatic move, [but] it is not a shift towards liberalization. On the contrary, it is an effort to ensure continuity and stability.” Cuba has undergone numerous transitions over the last 25 years, including the end of the Soviet bloc, Fidel Castro’s illness, his transfer of power to Raul and his subsequent death in 2016, noted Richard Gioioso, professor and director of the Latin American studies program at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. “The system has proven itself to be adaptable and resilient,” he said. “I’m not convinced that leadership will really change since Raul will sit atop the Communist Party.” Arnavat, Guerra and Gioioso discussed the challenges facing Diaz-Canel and Cubans on the Knowledge@Wharton show on SiriusXM channel 111. Harsh times ahead Diaz-Canel inherits all of the challenges that Raul Castro was facing, such as a stagnant economy and unhappiness among Cubans over their standard of living, Arnavat noted. “They are expecting structural reforms that will allow them to have better lives,” he said. Guerra highlighted two major changes that will hit Cubans hard in the Diaz-Canel presidency. One is the end of the dual-currency system, which “will impoverish Cubans even further because those items and goods sold in pesos, which is what they get paid in, will now be sold in dollars,” she said. The other is Diaz-Canel giving effect to Raul Castro’s threat since 2011 to end the ration system that enables Cubans to get subsidized bread, rice and other food items. “Most Cubans get most of their calories from the rations they have been getting since 1962,” although it has been “highly diminished” over the years as the government discontinued rations for several food items, Guerra said. “Cubans have been terrified of this process. Diaz-Canel will be the face of that.” Reining in entrepreneurs The Cuban state has wrestled with the rise of the entrepreneurial class in the country after 1992 when it first allowed people to be self-employed because the state couldn’t provide full employment, said Guerra. “The Cuban state has seen the entrepreneurial sector as its primary rival for the tourist dollar but also as a competitor for control of public discourse,” she added. In 2017, Raul Castro also attempted to rein in the entrepreneurial class by declaring a moratorium on further licensing for self-employed workers. “He declared it had been an error to expand [the entrepreneurial] sector to the degree that it had,” Guerra noted. Cuba’s parliament last July passed updated economic guidelines that said a “concentration of property and financial and material wealth” wouldn’t be permitted in the non-state sector, the Miami Herald reported. Expanded internet access helped grow the entrepreneurial class, especially in tourism with the growth of Airbnb and bed-and-breakfast businesses. But the state also saw it as a threat, Guerra explained. Raul Castro has responded by threatening to “increasingly police the internet, and shut down bloggers,” she said. “He would do whatever it took — in fact, he used the word censorship — to ensure that there would be control of information.” Crimps on real estate The end of the dual currency system will also hurt Cuba’s real estate market, and that is also a matter of concern for many Cubans, said Gioioso. Investors including Cuban Americans in South Florida and elsewhere in the US, in addition to Cubans living in Spain and Mexico, have thronged Cuba’s real estate markets, and “a significant amount of [that] foreign investment is through irregular ways,” he added. Without the dual currency system, much of the foreign investment that was possible through the dollar-linked CUC will face constraints, he said. A crackdown on errant real estate market practices could hurt some powerful interest groups, too. Guerra said that after Cuba legalized real estate sales in November 2011, remittances from Cubans living overseas jumped, and currently account for more than a billion dollars annually. Much of that money found its way into real estate purchases. Cuba’s generals and CEOs of state corporations that work with foreign investors also invested in real estate because “they needed someplace to put their millions,” she added. “At all levels, this appears very much like a traditional military dictatorship. So, there is a lot to be worried about here.” Resetting ties with the US Diaz-Canel will also have to think of new ways to engage with the Trump administration, said Arnavat. “If he wants to have a better relationship with the U.S., he has to figure out a way to give something to Donald Trump that will be of interest in order for Trump to be able to open up again and want to do a deal with Cuba.” The Trump administration’s rhetoric over unwinding Obama’s pro-Cuba gestures has not been matched with action, apart from a few rollbacks. Some 80-90% of the more liberal regulations introduced under Barack Obama remain in place, said Arnavat. Gioioso said the Obama administration brought optimism among Cubans about how openness with the US would create better bilateral relations and increase tourism revenues to Cuba. However, Trump’s rollback of some of the Obama-era normalization policies “creates more confusion than anything else,” and the outlook on that front will depend on how the Trump administration articulates its Cuba policy, he added. Diaz-Canel’s ability to correct any of Cuba’s woes is limited. Guerra noted that as head of the army, Raul Castro is also CEO of GAESA, the army’s business conglomerate. GAESA controls roughly 60% of the country’s economy through its various arms, including the Gaviota hotel chain and TRD, the military retail chain. “These are state companies that work with foreign investors in a neo-liberal trade regime of assembly plants and free trade zones on the island that take advantage of poor and very cheap labor,” Guerra said. “And they also rake in billions of dollars in tourism. The real power resides in who controls the economy and who controls the military, and that remains Raul Castro.” (This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the original article.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What to expect from a post-Castro Cuba

Times Square lit up on Sunday night with the best of musical talent wowing the crowds of Manhattan, New York City.&nbsp;

The crowd went crazy when singers Mariah Carey, Camila Cabello,&nbsp;Kelly Clarkson, Kane Brown, BTS, Fitz and The Tantrums, Khalid with Marshmello, Charlie Puth, Florida Georgia Line, Halsey, Portugal, The Man, and Hailee Steinfeld, Nick Jonas took centre stage at&nbsp;Dick Clark&#39;s New Year&#39;s Rockin&#39; Eve With Ryan Seacrest.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
5... 4... 3... 2... 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RockinEve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RockinEve</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hello2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hello2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/RjLarD1uOT">pic.twitter.com/RjLarD1uOT</a>
&mdash; New Year&rsquo;s Rockin&rsquo; Eve (@NYRE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYRE/status/947695901862117376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

It was quite something to watch Mariah Carey return to the stage after last year&#39;s mishap. She sang not one, but two songs for the freezing crowd on New Year&#39;s Eve. She performed a medley of&nbsp;&quot;Vision of Love&quot; and &quot;Hero&quot; and even made the crowd&nbsp;burst into laughter with a joke at her expense saying to the audience that the night was a &quot;disaster&quot; because she didn&#39;t have her hot tea.

&quot;They told me there would be hot tea,&quot; she said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Happy New Year!!!! &hearts;????? <a href="https://t.co/7QMeQa5THV">pic.twitter.com/7QMeQa5THV</a>
&mdash; Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) <a href="https://twitter.com/MariahCarey/status/947714634534006784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
???????????? 
Festive even in single digits! See you tonight, everybody!! <a href="https://twitter.com/NYRE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYRE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RockinEve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RockinEve</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappyNewYear?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HappyNewYear</a> <a href="https://t.co/edR6fYSvbv">pic.twitter.com/edR6fYSvbv</a>
&mdash; Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) <a href="https://twitter.com/MariahCarey/status/947608101179441153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Let&#39;s hear it for <a href="https://twitter.com/MariahCarey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariahCarey</a> LIVE in Times Square... take two! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RockinEve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RockinEve</a> <a href="https://t.co/9czbB366Hl">pic.twitter.com/9czbB366Hl</a>
&mdash; New Year&rsquo;s Rockin&rsquo; Eve (@NYRE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYRE/status/947690589331505152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Camila Cabello song danced to &quot;Havana&quot; while Shawn Mendes sang his hit song &quot;There&#39;s Nothing Holding Me Back&quot; At the Rockin&#39; Eve stage in Los Angeles.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Half of my ?? is still with <a href="https://twitter.com/Camila_Cabello?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Camila_Cabello</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAMILAxRockinEve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CAMILAxRockinEve</a> <a href="https://t.co/fxizvMK0XG">pic.twitter.com/fxizvMK0XG</a>
&mdash; New Year&rsquo;s Rockin&rsquo; Eve (@NYRE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYRE/status/947669042814423040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Impossible not to turn into ?????? when <a href="https://twitter.com/Camila_Cabello?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Camila_Cabello</a> is performing! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RockinEve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RockinEve</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAMILAxRockinEve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CAMILAxRockinEve</a> <a href="https://t.co/01M8MQ71T3">pic.twitter.com/01M8MQ71T3</a>
&mdash; New Year&rsquo;s Rockin&rsquo; Eve (@NYRE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYRE/status/947661895418253312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
&#39;There&#39;s Nothing Holding Me Back&#39; from <a href="https://twitter.com/ShawnMendes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShawnMendes</a>! ?? He&#39;s back on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RockinEve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RockinEve</a> stage! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RockinShawn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RockinShawn</a> <a href="https://t.co/mdczfJ0883">pic.twitter.com/mdczfJ0883</a>
&mdash; New Year&rsquo;s Rockin&rsquo; Eve (@NYRE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYRE/status/947664280211439616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Stringin&#39; his way into 2018 ?? <a href="https://twitter.com/ShawnMendes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShawnMendes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RockinShawn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RockinShawn</a> <a href="https://t.co/5Bn9EakuzU">pic.twitter.com/5Bn9EakuzU</a>
&mdash; New Year&rsquo;s Rockin&rsquo; Eve (@NYRE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYRE/status/947665526288822272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

To add to the list,&nbsp;singers Kelly Clarkson, Kane Brown, BTS, Fitz and The Tantrums, Khalid with Marshmello, Charlie Puth, Florida Georgia Line, Halsey, Portugal. The Man, and Hailee Steinfeld were also seen&nbsp;on the stage in Los Angeles.

There also Imagine Dragon, Alessia Cara among a few others who performed.&nbsp;

Nick Jonas hit the Times Square stage with an amazing medley of &quot;Home,&quot; &quot;Close&quot; and &quot;Jealous.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/nickjonas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nickjonas</a> is heating up Times Square with his medley of &#39;Home&#39; &#39;Close&#39; and &#39;Jealous&#39; ??????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RockinEve?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RockinEve</a> <a href="https://t.co/cpWTI7sU6i">pic.twitter.com/cpWTI7sU6i</a>
&mdash; New Year&rsquo;s Rockin&rsquo; Eve (@NYRE) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYRE/status/947684603602464769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The list of star performers was pretty long for New Year's Eve party at Times Square where hundreds gathered to enjoy music with family and friends

Times Square lit up on Sunday night with the best of musical talent wowing the crowds of Manhattan, New York City. The crowd went crazy when singers Mariah Carey, Camila Cabello, Kelly Clarkson, Kane Brown, BTS, Fitz and The Tantrums, Khalid with Marshmello, Charlie Puth, Florida Georgia Line, Halsey, Portugal, The Man, and Hailee Steinfeld, Nick Jonas took centre stage at Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM #RockinEve! #Hello2018 pic.twitter.com/RjLarD1uOT — New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (@NYRE) January 1, 2018 × It was quite something to watch Mariah Carey return to the stage after last year's mishap. She sang not one, but two songs for the freezing crowd on New Year's Eve. She performed a medley of "Vision of Love" and "Hero" and even made the crowd burst into laughter with a joke at her expense saying to the audience that the night was a "disaster" because she didn't have her hot tea. "They told me there would be hot tea," she said. Happy New Year!!!! ♥????? pic.twitter.com/7QMeQa5THV — Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) January 1, 2018 × ???????????? Festive even in single digits! See you tonight, everybody!! @NYRE #RockinEve #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/edR6fYSvbv — Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) December 31, 2017 × Let's hear it for @MariahCarey LIVE in Times Square... take two! #RockinEve pic.twitter.com/9czbB366Hl — New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (@NYRE) January 1, 2018 × Camila Cabello song danced to "Havana" while Shawn Mendes sang his hit song "There's Nothing Holding Me Back" At the Rockin' Eve stage in Los Angeles. Half of my ?? is still with @Camila_Cabello. #CAMILAxRockinEve pic.twitter.com/fxizvMK0XG — New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (@NYRE) January 1, 2018 × Impossible not to turn into ?????? when @Camila_Cabello is performing! #RockinEve #CAMILAxRockinEve pic.twitter.com/01M8MQ71T3 — New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (@NYRE) January 1, 2018 × 'There's Nothing Holding Me Back' from @ShawnMendes! ?? He's back on the #RockinEve stage! #RockinShawn pic.twitter.com/mdczfJ0883 — New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (@NYRE) January 1, 2018 × Stringin' his way into 2018 ?? @ShawnMendes #RockinShawn pic.twitter.com/5Bn9EakuzU — New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (@NYRE) January 1, 2018 × To add to the list, singers Kelly Clarkson, Kane Brown, BTS, Fitz and The Tantrums, Khalid with Marshmello, Charlie Puth, Florida Georgia Line, Halsey, Portugal. The Man, and Hailee Steinfeld were also seen on the stage in Los Angeles. There also Imagine Dragon, Alessia Cara among a few others who performed. Nick Jonas hit the Times Square stage with an amazing medley of "Home," "Close" and "Jealous." .@nickjonas is heating up Times Square with his medley of 'Home' 'Close' and 'Jealous' ??????#RockinEve pic.twitter.com/cpWTI7sU6i — New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (@NYRE) January 1, 2018 ×

Watch stars light up Times Square in New York with music and fun

Cuba took another step on Sunday toward the end of the Castro era, with millions of residents placing paper ballots in cardboard boxes for ward delegates to municipal assemblies.

The vote comes the day after the first anniversary of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro&rsquo;s death and precedes another election early next year for provincial and national assembly deputies.

The new national assembly, where 50 percent of the deputies must be ward delegates elected on Sunday, is expected on Feb. 24 to select a new president to replace Raul Castro, Fidel&rsquo;s 86-year-old younger brother, who has said he will step down after serving two five-year terms.

The Castro brothers have headed the government since the 1959 revolution.

Raul Castro will remain head of the Communist Party until 2021, the only legal party in Cuba.

Nearly 27,000 candidates are running for 12,515 ward positions in Sunday&rsquo;s election, the only part of the electoral process that is contested publicly and with direct participation by ordinary Cubans.

The results will be announced on Monday.

The candidates for the provincial and national assemblies are nominated by commissions composed of representatives of Communist Party-controlled organizations, such as the trade union federation, then presented as a slate for a public vote.

Those slates have had the same number of names as seats in previous elections. Fifty percent of those names must be ward delegates.

The electoral cycle comes at a tricky time for the Caribbean nation as the revolutionary generation passes, an economic reform program appears stalled, aid from key ally Venezuela shrinks, and the Trump administration threatens.

Yet candidates debated none of these issues before Sunday&rsquo;s vote.

First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is expected to succeed Castro, lauded the electoral process and refused to speculate about his future.

&quot;Today is a day to talk about what we are doing and Fidel,&quot; he told reporters after casting his ballot.

Asked about relations with the United States, he said Cuba remained interested in improving them, but reiterated its position that negotiations would have to be based on mutual respect and equality and without dictates.

&quot;The future depends on them, not us,&quot; he said.

Campaigning is prohibited in Cuba, and candidates for the ward posts were nominated at neighborhood meetings based on their personal merits, not policy positions. They need not belong to the Communist Party, and many candidates are independents, but only a few government opponents have ever competed.

&quot;I am happy to vote, but I must say, like most young people I do not think it makes any difference,&quot; said a young woman, who requested anonymity because she holds an important government job.

She added that there was an ongoing discussion on how to reform the electoral process and make government more responsive.

This year a coalition of opposition groups ran more than 160 pre-candidates, but most were blocked by state security from nomination meetings, and none are running on Sunday.

The vote precedes another election early next year for provincial and national assembly deputies

Cuba took another step on Sunday toward the end of the Castro era, with millions of residents placing paper ballots in cardboard boxes for ward delegates to municipal assemblies. The vote comes the day after the first anniversary of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro’s death and precedes another election early next year for provincial and national assembly deputies. The new national assembly, where 50 percent of the deputies must be ward delegates elected on Sunday, is expected on Feb. 24 to select a new president to replace Raul Castro, Fidel’s 86-year-old younger brother, who has said he will step down after serving two five-year terms. The Castro brothers have headed the government since the 1959 revolution. Raul Castro will remain head of the Communist Party until 2021, the only legal party in Cuba. Nearly 27,000 candidates are running for 12,515 ward positions in Sunday’s election, the only part of the electoral process that is contested publicly and with direct participation by ordinary Cubans. The results will be announced on Monday. The candidates for the provincial and national assemblies are nominated by commissions composed of representatives of Communist Party-controlled organizations, such as the trade union federation, then presented as a slate for a public vote. Those slates have had the same number of names as seats in previous elections. Fifty percent of those names must be ward delegates. The electoral cycle comes at a tricky time for the Caribbean nation as the revolutionary generation passes, an economic reform program appears stalled, aid from key ally Venezuela shrinks, and the Trump administration threatens. Yet candidates debated none of these issues before Sunday’s vote. First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is expected to succeed Castro, lauded the electoral process and refused to speculate about his future. "Today is a day to talk about what we are doing and Fidel," he told reporters after casting his ballot. Asked about relations with the United States, he said Cuba remained interested in improving them, but reiterated its position that negotiations would have to be based on mutual respect and equality and without dictates. "The future depends on them, not us," he said. Campaigning is prohibited in Cuba, and candidates for the ward posts were nominated at neighborhood meetings based on their personal merits, not policy positions. They need not belong to the Communist Party, and many candidates are independents, but only a few government opponents have ever competed. "I am happy to vote, but I must say, like most young people I do not think it makes any difference," said a young woman, who requested anonymity because she holds an important government job. She added that there was an ongoing discussion on how to reform the electoral process and make government more responsive. This year a coalition of opposition groups ran more than 160 pre-candidates, but most were blocked by state security from nomination meetings, and none are running on Sunday.

Cuba holds municipal elections on road to Castro era's end

No fewer than 16 Americans were hurt in what has previously been dubbed an acoustic attack on the US mission in Cuba, the State Department said Thursday.

Officials are probing a series of incidents dating back to September last year in which diplomats are thought to have been hit with a mystery sonic weapon.

The &quot;unprecedented&quot; attacks came to light last month when Washington warned Cuba it would be held responsible for the safety of US personnel in Havana.

But on Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert gave the first indication of the scale of the incident, which has threatened slowly improving ties.

&quot;We can confirm that at least 16 US government employees, members of our embassy community, have experienced some kind of symptoms,&quot; she said.

Late last year US embassy staff and at least one Canadian began to feel the effects of what Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called a &quot;health attack.&quot;

US officials have said those hurt appeared to have been targeted by some form of previously unknown acoustic assault, but have not blamed Cuba directly.

Cuba has insisted it has no knowledge of any attack and is working to &quot;clarify the facts of the situation.&quot;

No details of the injuries have been released, but a CBS News report suggested at least one victim suffered what amounted to &quot;brain damage.&quot;

&quot;We take the situation extremely seriously,&quot; Nauert said, after revealing the new casualty toll.

Nauert confirmed that the 16 cases she was referring to were all US citizens connected to the mission, but was not sure if any were family members of staff.

Some were evacuated to Miami for treatment in US hospitals, others were cared for by American doctors who traveled to Havana to work at the embassy.

Separately, Canada has said one of its diplomats posted to Havana is being treated for hearing loss.

In May, the US ordered two Cuban diplomats to leave their recently reopened embassy in Washington and return to Havana, without publicly saying why.

It is now known that Washington had alerted the Cuban government to what its foreign ministry dubbed the &quot;alleged incidents&quot; as far back as February 17.

But US officials made no public complaint until just last month when Tillerson warned that Cuba must help investigate and prevent further attacks.

Nauert said on Thursday that the incidents do now appear to have ended, but that investigations are ongoing to find the culprits.

Tough line

Relations between the United States and Cuba were restored by then president Barack Obama and his counterpart Raul Castro in 2015 after a half-century.

But tensions mounted again after Obama&#39;s successor Donald Trump, who won many Cuban American votes by promising a tough line, rolled back detente.

In June, Trump tightened rules for Americans traveling to Cuba, banned ties with a military-run tourism firm and reaffirmed the existing US trade embargo.

The US embassy was closed in 1961 at the height of the Cold War when diplomatic relations broke down between Washington and Fidel Castro&#39;s revolutionary regime.

The mission reopened as a &quot;special interests section&quot; rather than a full embassy under an agreement between Castro and US President Jimmy Carter. 
But the US diplomats were hardly made welcome.

Anti-American propaganda was displayed around the compound, which Cuba saw as a base for fomenting opposition sedition.

American diplomats in Havana and their Cuban rivals in Washington both regularly complained of harassment or heavy-handed surveillance, but never of sonic attack.

Officials are probing a series of incidents dating back to September last year in which diplomats are thought to have been hit with a mystery sonic weapon

No fewer than 16 Americans were hurt in what has previously been dubbed an acoustic attack on the US mission in Cuba, the State Department said Thursday. Officials are probing a series of incidents dating back to September last year in which diplomats are thought to have been hit with a mystery sonic weapon. The "unprecedented" attacks came to light last month when Washington warned Cuba it would be held responsible for the safety of US personnel in Havana. But on Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert gave the first indication of the scale of the incident, which has threatened slowly improving ties. "We can confirm that at least 16 US government employees, members of our embassy community, have experienced some kind of symptoms," she said. Late last year US embassy staff and at least one Canadian began to feel the effects of what Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called a "health attack." US officials have said those hurt appeared to have been targeted by some form of previously unknown acoustic assault, but have not blamed Cuba directly. Cuba has insisted it has no knowledge of any attack and is working to "clarify the facts of the situation." No details of the injuries have been released, but a CBS News report suggested at least one victim suffered what amounted to "brain damage." "We take the situation extremely seriously," Nauert said, after revealing the new casualty toll. Nauert confirmed that the 16 cases she was referring to were all US citizens connected to the mission, but was not sure if any were family members of staff. Some were evacuated to Miami for treatment in US hospitals, others were cared for by American doctors who traveled to Havana to work at the embassy. Separately, Canada has said one of its diplomats posted to Havana is being treated for hearing loss. In May, the US ordered two Cuban diplomats to leave their recently reopened embassy in Washington and return to Havana, without publicly saying why. It is now known that Washington had alerted the Cuban government to what its foreign ministry dubbed the "alleged incidents" as far back as February 17. But US officials made no public complaint until just last month when Tillerson warned that Cuba must help investigate and prevent further attacks. Nauert said on Thursday that the incidents do now appear to have ended, but that investigations are ongoing to find the culprits. Tough line Relations between the United States and Cuba were restored by then president Barack Obama and his counterpart Raul Castro in 2015 after a half-century. But tensions mounted again after Obama's successor Donald Trump, who won many Cuban American votes by promising a tough line, rolled back detente. In June, Trump tightened rules for Americans traveling to Cuba, banned ties with a military-run tourism firm and reaffirmed the existing US trade embargo. The US embassy was closed in 1961 at the height of the Cold War when diplomatic relations broke down between Washington and Fidel Castro's revolutionary regime. The mission reopened as a "special interests section" rather than a full embassy under an agreement between Castro and US President Jimmy Carter. But the US diplomats were hardly made welcome. Anti-American propaganda was displayed around the compound, which Cuba saw as a base for fomenting opposition sedition. American diplomats in Havana and their Cuban rivals in Washington both regularly complained of harassment or heavy-handed surveillance, but never of sonic attack.

Mystery Havana embassy attacks hurt 16 US staff

Fidel Castro&#39;s ashes were taken Sunday to a cemetery in the cradle of his revolution as Cuba opens a new era without the communist leader who ruled the island for decades.

Capping a week of tributes and mass rallies, a jeep pulled the cedar urn into the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba as a crowd chanted &quot;viva Fidel!&quot;

Castro, who died on November 25 at age 90, will be laid to rest during a &quot;simple&quot; ceremony near the mausoleum of 19th century independence hero Jose Marti, said his brother and successor, President Raul Castro.

The funeral was closed to the public.

On Saturday night, Raul Castro led a massive, final rally in his brother`s honor at Santiago&#39;s Revolution Plaza, leading the crowd into pledge to uphold the socialist ideals.

&quot;In front of Fidel&#39;s remains ... we swear to defend the fatherland and socialism,&quot; Raul Castro said.

&quot;He demonstrated that, yes we could, yes we can, yes we will overcome any obstacle, threat, turbulence in our firm resolve to build socialism in Cuba,&quot; he said.

While Castro was sidelined by emergency intestinal surgery a decade ago, he remained a towering figure in Cuba.

He was revered by supporters for the free health care and education he spread across the island, and vilified by dissidents who saw him as a brutal dictator.

Although he was an omnipresent figure in the lives of Cubans, Castro&#39;s dying wish was that no statues be erected in his memory and no streets or building be named after him.

The national assembly, which meets later this month, will pass a law to follow Castro&#39;s order, his brother said.

&quot;The leader of the revolution rejected any manifestation of a cult of personality,&quot; Raul Castro said. His burial ends a nine-day period of mourning during which Cubans, often encouraged by the government, flooded the streets to pay tribute to Castro, chanting &quot;I am Fidel!&quot; as his ashes were taken across the Caribbean country this week.

&quot;I am very sad because we have lost a father,&quot; said Marta Loida, a 36-year-old university professor sitting on the ground and holding a picture of Fidel Castro after Raul&#39;s speech.

The government nurtured the religious-like fervor, with state media calling Castro the &quot;eternal comandante.&quot;&nbsp;

In the past week, Cubans were urged to go to schools and other public buildings to sign an oath of loyalty to his revolution.

&quot;I trust Raul because Raul is Fidel&#39;s brother. Fidel taught him everything,&quot; said Irina Hierro Rodriguez, a 23-year-old teacher at Saturday&#39;s rally.

Fidel and Raul Castro launched a failed attack on Santiago&#39;s Moncada military barracks in July 1953, but it was the seed of a revolution that triumphed in 1959.

After taking power, Fidel Castro became a Soviet ally and was a constant thorn in the side of successive US presidents until illness forced him to hand power to Raul in 2006.

Since succeeding his brother, Raul Castro has implemented modest economic reforms in recent years, restored diplomatic relations with the United States and vowed to step down in 2018.

&quot;No longer under the shadow of his older brother, Raul may now feel freer to pursue the modest economic reforms he initiated in the last decade,&quot; said Jorge Duany, director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University. While US President Barack Obama has chipped away at the US embargo&#39;s trade and travel restrictions, foreign companies still face obstacles to invest in Cuba.

Food supplies are tight and public services are being cut back while socialist ally Venezuela, which has been providing cheap oil to Cuba, is in the middle of a political and economic crisis, said Ted Piccone, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution think tank.

Castro needs to pick up the pace of reforms to kickstart the economy and ensure a smooth transition to his successor in 2018, he said.

&quot;The legitimacy of the post-Raul government will depend on a much better economic performance,&quot; said Piccone, a senior foreign policy adviser during Bill Clinton&#39;s presidency. 
And while Castro has died, his legacy is not going to vanish overnight.

&quot;Given his outsized impact on Cuba and the region, it&#39;s not really goodbye,&quot; Piccone said. &quot;His memory will cast a shadow over Cuba for a long time.&quot;

(AFP)

Sunday's funeral caps a week of tributes and mass rallies across the country

Fidel Castro's ashes were taken Sunday to a cemetery in the cradle of his revolution as Cuba opens a new era without the communist leader who ruled the island for decades. Capping a week of tributes and mass rallies, a jeep pulled the cedar urn into the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba as a crowd chanted "viva Fidel!" Castro, who died on November 25 at age 90, will be laid to rest during a "simple" ceremony near the mausoleum of 19th century independence hero Jose Marti, said his brother and successor, President Raul Castro. The funeral was closed to the public. On Saturday night, Raul Castro led a massive, final rally in his brother`s honor at Santiago's Revolution Plaza, leading the crowd into pledge to uphold the socialist ideals. "In front of Fidel's remains ... we swear to defend the fatherland and socialism," Raul Castro said. "He demonstrated that, yes we could, yes we can, yes we will overcome any obstacle, threat, turbulence in our firm resolve to build socialism in Cuba," he said. While Castro was sidelined by emergency intestinal surgery a decade ago, he remained a towering figure in Cuba. He was revered by supporters for the free health care and education he spread across the island, and vilified by dissidents who saw him as a brutal dictator. Although he was an omnipresent figure in the lives of Cubans, Castro's dying wish was that no statues be erected in his memory and no streets or building be named after him. The national assembly, which meets later this month, will pass a law to follow Castro's order, his brother said. "The leader of the revolution rejected any manifestation of a cult of personality," Raul Castro said. His burial ends a nine-day period of mourning during which Cubans, often encouraged by the government, flooded the streets to pay tribute to Castro, chanting "I am Fidel!" as his ashes were taken across the Caribbean country this week. "I am very sad because we have lost a father," said Marta Loida, a 36-year-old university professor sitting on the ground and holding a picture of Fidel Castro after Raul's speech. The government nurtured the religious-like fervor, with state media calling Castro the "eternal comandante." In the past week, Cubans were urged to go to schools and other public buildings to sign an oath of loyalty to his revolution. "I trust Raul because Raul is Fidel's brother. Fidel taught him everything," said Irina Hierro Rodriguez, a 23-year-old teacher at Saturday's rally. Fidel and Raul Castro launched a failed attack on Santiago's Moncada military barracks in July 1953, but it was the seed of a revolution that triumphed in 1959. After taking power, Fidel Castro became a Soviet ally and was a constant thorn in the side of successive US presidents until illness forced him to hand power to Raul in 2006. Since succeeding his brother, Raul Castro has implemented modest economic reforms in recent years, restored diplomatic relations with the United States and vowed to step down in 2018. "No longer under the shadow of his older brother, Raul may now feel freer to pursue the modest economic reforms he initiated in the last decade," said Jorge Duany, director of the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University. While US President Barack Obama has chipped away at the US embargo's trade and travel restrictions, foreign companies still face obstacles to invest in Cuba. Food supplies are tight and public services are being cut back while socialist ally Venezuela, which has been providing cheap oil to Cuba, is in the middle of a political and economic crisis, said Ted Piccone, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution think tank. Castro needs to pick up the pace of reforms to kickstart the economy and ensure a smooth transition to his successor in 2018, he said. "The legitimacy of the post-Raul government will depend on a much better economic performance," said Piccone, a senior foreign policy adviser during Bill Clinton's presidency. And while Castro has died, his legacy is not going to vanish overnight. "Given his outsized impact on Cuba and the region, it's not really goodbye," Piccone said. "His memory will cast a shadow over Cuba for a long time." (AFP)

Cuba starts Castro burial, braces for post-Fidel era

At 65, Ramon Alfonso has seen a lot of history in his native Cuba. But this is the first time he has eaten a vegan salad. 
 
After decades of Communist rule and centuries of eating meat and beans, the island is opening up, and so are its taste buds. 
 
Sitting at Cafe Bohemia on Havana&#39;s Old Square, Alfonso gobbles lettuce, eggplant and cabbage. 
 
There is not an ounce of pork and rice in sight, but in the searing heat, that suits him just fine. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t know if I&#39;ll be eating this every day because I&#39;m not used to it,&quot; he says. 
 
&quot;But it is tasty. And it&#39;s better for the health and for the weather in a tropical country like this.&quot; 
 
Under the communist regime, the few diners who could afford to step out for dinner faced dreary state-run eateries with stodgy food and bad service.&nbsp;Now those state-run restaurants are empty. 
 
 
New moussaka 
The government authorised privately-run restaurants five years ago, and the change was slow to take effect. But with more tourists coming to Cuba in the past year, its impact is clear to see now on the terraces of Havana. 
 
At one state-run joint in Havana&#39;s old quarter, four waiters sit chatting with not a single one of the tables occupied. 
 
A few dozen yards away, the privately-run Cafe de las Letras is crammed with diners munching its trademark moussaka.&nbsp;With eggplant smothered in meat and cheese, that is a novel dish for Cubans who were used to eating the vegetable fried in breadcrumbs. 
 
At another of Havana&#39;s new wave of trendy restaurants, Versus 1900, the smell of rosemary fills the kitchen. 
 
Chef Alain Prieto is seasoning mutton in a Peruvian-inspired fusion creation. Beside him a colleague is cooking crispy vegetable tempura. 
 
&quot;International dishes have been added to the traditional creole cuisine,&quot; Prieto says. 
 
&quot;People are starting to eat differently,&quot; he adds. &quot;More refined.&quot; 
 
 
How now, fried cow 
In a kitchen workshop run by the country&#39;s Culinary Federation, its president Eddy Fernandez chucks a spot of oil in the pan and adds peppers, onion and garlic. 
 
The shredded beef is pre-cooked and goes into the pan to sizzle briefly. 
 
A splash of white wine and it is ready: his modern take on the Cuban classic vaca frita, or &quot;fried cow&quot;. 
 
Fernandez is helping train a new generation of Cuban chefs. 
 
Demand for their services has surged in the past two years, he says, and standards have risen. 
 
The health ministry says 45 per cent of adults in Cuba are overweight and 12 per cent suffer full obesity. 
 
Chefs are wanted who can cook classic Cuban dishes but &quot;with less fat and sugar, little salt and more fruit and vegetables&quot;, Fernandez says. 
 
 
Outside influence 
When Italian chef Annalisa Gallina arrived in Cuba three years ago, she says, salad was something stuck on the side of the plate as a decoration. 
 
The country&#39;s cooking was still emerging from the economic crisis that followed the collapse of its ally, the Soviet Union. 
 
That crisis limited eating options in a country that imports most of its ingredients. 
 
For many Cubans, &quot;if it doesn&#39;t have rice, beans and meat, it isn&#39;t food,&quot; says Gallina, 37, who works at Cafe Bohemia. 
 
&quot;The Cubans who are most open to vegetarian cooking are the ones who have had the chance to travel abroad.&quot; 
 
President Raul Castro took over from his brother Fidel, leader of the 1959 revolution, in 2008. 
 
He has loosened travel restrictions for Cubans. 
 
The government&#39;s migration department says hundreds of thousands of Cubans have traveled abroad since 2013. 
 
Castro has also authorised some private businesses and has transferred state eateries to private hands. 
 
&quot;That is a good thing,&quot; says Fernandez. &quot;State gastronomy was not working.&quot; 
 
 
Local produce 
The new generation of restaurateurs faces the challenge of pleasing the four million tourists now coming to Cuba every year -- including a growing number of US visitors. 
 
In the kitchen at Versus 1900, Prieto and colleague Omar Gil show off their organic goods: cherry tomatoes, raisins and strawberries. 
 
They have grown the ingredients in their own garden. 
 
&quot;There is lots of produce to make the most of in Cuba,&quot; says Gallina at Cafe Bohemia. 
 
Cubans are used to fruit juice, but not like the exotic mixes she serves: guava with pepper and basil, carrot with ginger or pineapple with mint. 
 
Cooking programs on Cuban television have multiplied. 
 
&quot;You sit down in a park with wifi and download a recipe. That is how we have learned,&quot; says Prieto. 
 
&quot;We want to go on like that and improve Cuban cooking.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

With more tourists coming in the past year, restaurants are attempting a breakaway from centuries of eating meat and beans

At 65, Ramon Alfonso has seen a lot of history in his native Cuba. But this is the first time he has eaten a vegan salad. After decades of Communist rule and centuries of eating meat and beans, the island is opening up, and so are its taste buds. Sitting at Cafe Bohemia on Havana's Old Square, Alfonso gobbles lettuce, eggplant and cabbage. There is not an ounce of pork and rice in sight, but in the searing heat, that suits him just fine. "I don't know if I'll be eating this every day because I'm not used to it," he says. "But it is tasty. And it's better for the health and for the weather in a tropical country like this." Under the communist regime, the few diners who could afford to step out for dinner faced dreary state-run eateries with stodgy food and bad service. Now those state-run restaurants are empty. New moussaka The government authorised privately-run restaurants five years ago, and the change was slow to take effect. But with more tourists coming to Cuba in the past year, its impact is clear to see now on the terraces of Havana. At one state-run joint in Havana's old quarter, four waiters sit chatting with not a single one of the tables occupied. A few dozen yards away, the privately-run Cafe de las Letras is crammed with diners munching its trademark moussaka. With eggplant smothered in meat and cheese, that is a novel dish for Cubans who were used to eating the vegetable fried in breadcrumbs. At another of Havana's new wave of trendy restaurants, Versus 1900, the smell of rosemary fills the kitchen. Chef Alain Prieto is seasoning mutton in a Peruvian-inspired fusion creation. Beside him a colleague is cooking crispy vegetable tempura. "International dishes have been added to the traditional creole cuisine," Prieto says. "People are starting to eat differently," he adds. "More refined." How now, fried cow In a kitchen workshop run by the country's Culinary Federation, its president Eddy Fernandez chucks a spot of oil in the pan and adds peppers, onion and garlic. The shredded beef is pre-cooked and goes into the pan to sizzle briefly. A splash of white wine and it is ready: his modern take on the Cuban classic vaca frita, or "fried cow". Fernandez is helping train a new generation of Cuban chefs. Demand for their services has surged in the past two years, he says, and standards have risen. The health ministry says 45 per cent of adults in Cuba are overweight and 12 per cent suffer full obesity. Chefs are wanted who can cook classic Cuban dishes but "with less fat and sugar, little salt and more fruit and vegetables", Fernandez says. Outside influence When Italian chef Annalisa Gallina arrived in Cuba three years ago, she says, salad was something stuck on the side of the plate as a decoration. The country's cooking was still emerging from the economic crisis that followed the collapse of its ally, the Soviet Union. That crisis limited eating options in a country that imports most of its ingredients. For many Cubans, "if it doesn't have rice, beans and meat, it isn't food," says Gallina, 37, who works at Cafe Bohemia. "The Cubans who are most open to vegetarian cooking are the ones who have had the chance to travel abroad." President Raul Castro took over from his brother Fidel, leader of the 1959 revolution, in 2008. He has loosened travel restrictions for Cubans. The government's migration department says hundreds of thousands of Cubans have traveled abroad since 2013. Castro has also authorised some private businesses and has transferred state eateries to private hands. "That is a good thing," says Fernandez. "State gastronomy was not working." Local produce The new generation of restaurateurs faces the challenge of pleasing the four million tourists now coming to Cuba every year -- including a growing number of US visitors. In the kitchen at Versus 1900, Prieto and colleague Omar Gil show off their organic goods: cherry tomatoes, raisins and strawberries. They have grown the ingredients in their own garden. "There is lots of produce to make the most of in Cuba," says Gallina at Cafe Bohemia. Cubans are used to fruit juice, but not like the exotic mixes she serves: guava with pepper and basil, carrot with ginger or pineapple with mint. Cooking programs on Cuban television have multiplied. "You sit down in a park with wifi and download a recipe. That is how we have learned," says Prieto. "We want to go on like that and improve Cuban cooking." (AFP)

Culinary revolution tingles taste buds in Cuba

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived in Havana late Wednesday night ahead of the signing of an agreement between Colombia&#39;s government and leftist FARC rebels. 
 
The two sides are slated to sign an agreement to end hostilities with a definitive ceasefire today. 
 
After more than three years of fraught talks in the Cuban capital, the agreement brings into sight an end to a conflict that began as a 1960s peasant revolt before exploding into a cocaine-fuelled war that has killed at least 220,000 people and displaced millions. 
 
The accord will be signed in Havana by President Juan Manuel Santos and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. 
 
The agreement would leave the two sides just a step away from resolving the longest-running conflict in the Western Hemisphere. 
 
&quot;I congratulate (Colombian) President (Juan Manuel) Santos and the Colombian government. I congratulate the Revolutionary Armed Forces (of Colombia), the FARC and their commander, Timoleon for this historic advancement, this gigantic step. Peace in Colombia is our peace,&quot; Maduro said, referring to Londono by another of his aliases. 
 
Ban and Maduro were expected to attend the signing ceremony along with Cuban President Raul Castro and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. 
 
The ceremony is expected to be held at 12:00 EDT (1600 GMT) 
 
(Reuters)

The agreement ends what started as a 1960s peasant revolt but ended up killing 220,000 and displacing millions

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived in Havana late Wednesday night ahead of the signing of an agreement between Colombia's government and leftist FARC rebels. The two sides are slated to sign an agreement to end hostilities with a definitive ceasefire today. After more than three years of fraught talks in the Cuban capital, the agreement brings into sight an end to a conflict that began as a 1960s peasant revolt before exploding into a cocaine-fuelled war that has killed at least 220,000 people and displaced millions. The accord will be signed in Havana by President Juan Manuel Santos and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rebel leader Rodrigo Londono, better known by his nom de guerre Timochenko. The agreement would leave the two sides just a step away from resolving the longest-running conflict in the Western Hemisphere. "I congratulate (Colombian) President (Juan Manuel) Santos and the Colombian government. I congratulate the Revolutionary Armed Forces (of Colombia), the FARC and their commander, Timoleon for this historic advancement, this gigantic step. Peace in Colombia is our peace," Maduro said, referring to Londono by another of his aliases. Ban and Maduro were expected to attend the signing ceremony along with Cuban President Raul Castro and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. The ceremony is expected to be held at 12:00 EDT (1600 GMT) (Reuters)

Ban Ki-moon and Venezuela's Maduro arrive for Colombia-FARC agreement

Hollywood has been clamouring to capture Cuba&#39;s colourful charm since a thaw in frosty Cold War relations, but the islanders say the boom comes with their own underfunded film industry in crisis. 
 
Several big American productions have created jobs and put Havana&#39;s art deco elegance in the shop window since US filmmakers were given the right to shoot on the Communist-led island in January. 
 
Showtime comedy series &quot;House of Lies,&quot; starring Don Cheadle, was the first to profit from the lifting of US Treasury Department conditions imposed as part of the 1962 embargo of the island. 
 
The latest movie in Universal&#39;s &quot;Fast and Furious&quot; series followed, along with Paramount&#39;s &quot;Transformers: The Last Knight.&quot; 
 
&quot;We&#39;re at a place that nobody ever thought would be possible. We are in Havana, Cuba. And you can see how beautiful it is with all these beautiful people,&quot; &quot;Fast 8&quot; star Vin Diesel says in a YouTube message from the city. 
 
The action sequel hired 250 local crew members and numerous extras at $30 a day, according to independent online magazine OnCuba, in a country where the average salary is $17 a month. 
 
Such is the rush to the Caribbean island&#39;s sun-kissed shores that the US entertainment media, perhaps inevitably, have coined the phrase &quot;Havanawood.&quot; 
 
The detente also signals the end of an anachronistic but necessary trick in filmmaking of representing Cuba through other Latin and Caribbean locations. 
 
&quot;The Godfather, Part II&quot; and Sydney Pollack&#39;s &quot;Havana&quot; used the Dominican Republic, while James Bond films &quot;Golden Eye&quot; and &quot;Die Another Day&quot; turned Puerto Rico and Cadiz, Spain, into the streets of Havana. 
 
 
&#39;What do we get? 
 
It&#39;s not just film and television dramas taking advantage of the newly accessible Cuba. 
 
Talkshow host Conan O&#39;Brien, a Chanel fashion show and even reality TV family the Kardashians have been seen recently in Havana, while Netflix has announced a new streaming service for the nation of 11 million people. 
 
But Cuba&#39;s own independent film industry, which began to take off in the 1990s as digital technology made filmmaking more accessible, says it is struggling to survive as Hollywood producers line their pockets. 
 
Independent production companies get little or no funding from the state and have struggled to get their movies past the notoriously censorious Cuban Film Institute (CFI). 
 
&quot;Everyone knows that Chanel and Hollywood gain by choosing Havana, a city frozen in time with its dilapidated beauty, the forbidden city where art deco and the Cold War collide,&quot; said journalist Sergio Alejandro Gomez in a recent post on his personal blog. 
 
&quot;The question is, what do we get out of it?&quot; 
 
Claudia Calvino, 33, executive producer at the private Fifth Avenue Productions, which made the zombie comedy &quot;Juan of the Dead,&quot; welcomes Hollywood&#39;s growing interest in Cuba. 
 
&quot;But the truth is that I feel upset and sad that these mega-productions have access to services and opportunities that have so often been denied to domestic productions, especially independent productions,&quot; she added. 
 
Calvino says she has often asked for permits, import licenses, vehicle rental and other help from the CFI and been turned down because her project &quot;did not represent Cuba in the best way.&quot; 
 
 
&#39;Not the enemy&#39; 
 
Director Carlos Lechuga&#39;s debut film &quot;Molasses,&quot; about a destitute former sugar-producing town, was shown at the Latin American Film Festival of Havana in 2012 and won an independent critics&#39; prize. 
 
But it had to wait almost a year for its theatrical release, and was screened only in one cinema. 
 
Once the jewel in the crown of Latin American cinema, years of neglect have led the domestic industry to a crisis, says Lechuga. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s simple -- Cuban cinema and its filmmakers need to be strengthened. Now, more than ever, we need to feel loved, respected,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We are not the enemy. We&#39;re trying to make a better country. What is there to fear?&quot; 
 
American support for Cuban filmmaking is being offered, but it is coming from the independent sector rather than the big Hollywood studios. 
 
During Havana&#39;s film festival in December, a Sundance Institute delegation of directors, writers and actors including Ethan Hawke put on workshops on screenwriting, production, editing and scoring. 
 
The institute, which has history of engagement with Cuba going back to the 1980s, is returning in July with a program of screenings to introduce Cuban audiences to US and international films, and the people making them. 
 
The focus, said the international director of the organization&#39;s feature film program Paul Federbush, has always been to support emerging Cuban artists. 
 
&quot;The recent opening of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the US presented a unique opportunity for Sundance Institute to return to Cuba at a culturally and politically crucial moment,&quot; he told AFP. 
(AFP)

American moviemakers are making full use of Cuba's lost-in-time beauty. But they're not doing much for the country's cash-poor film industry

Hollywood has been clamouring to capture Cuba's colourful charm since a thaw in frosty Cold War relations, but the islanders say the boom comes with their own underfunded film industry in crisis. Several big American productions have created jobs and put Havana's art deco elegance in the shop window since US filmmakers were given the right to shoot on the Communist-led island in January. Showtime comedy series "House of Lies," starring Don Cheadle, was the first to profit from the lifting of US Treasury Department conditions imposed as part of the 1962 embargo of the island. The latest movie in Universal's "Fast and Furious" series followed, along with Paramount's "Transformers: The Last Knight." "We're at a place that nobody ever thought would be possible. We are in Havana, Cuba. And you can see how beautiful it is with all these beautiful people," "Fast 8" star Vin Diesel says in a YouTube message from the city. The action sequel hired 250 local crew members and numerous extras at $30 a day, according to independent online magazine OnCuba, in a country where the average salary is $17 a month. Such is the rush to the Caribbean island's sun-kissed shores that the US entertainment media, perhaps inevitably, have coined the phrase "Havanawood." The detente also signals the end of an anachronistic but necessary trick in filmmaking of representing Cuba through other Latin and Caribbean locations. "The Godfather, Part II" and Sydney Pollack's "Havana" used the Dominican Republic, while James Bond films "Golden Eye" and "Die Another Day" turned Puerto Rico and Cadiz, Spain, into the streets of Havana. 'What do we get? It's not just film and television dramas taking advantage of the newly accessible Cuba. Talkshow host Conan O'Brien, a Chanel fashion show and even reality TV family the Kardashians have been seen recently in Havana, while Netflix has announced a new streaming service for the nation of 11 million people. But Cuba's own independent film industry, which began to take off in the 1990s as digital technology made filmmaking more accessible, says it is struggling to survive as Hollywood producers line their pockets. Independent production companies get little or no funding from the state and have struggled to get their movies past the notoriously censorious Cuban Film Institute (CFI). "Everyone knows that Chanel and Hollywood gain by choosing Havana, a city frozen in time with its dilapidated beauty, the forbidden city where art deco and the Cold War collide," said journalist Sergio Alejandro Gomez in a recent post on his personal blog. "The question is, what do we get out of it?" Claudia Calvino, 33, executive producer at the private Fifth Avenue Productions, which made the zombie comedy "Juan of the Dead," welcomes Hollywood's growing interest in Cuba. "But the truth is that I feel upset and sad that these mega-productions have access to services and opportunities that have so often been denied to domestic productions, especially independent productions," she added. Calvino says she has often asked for permits, import licenses, vehicle rental and other help from the CFI and been turned down because her project "did not represent Cuba in the best way." 'Not the enemy' Director Carlos Lechuga's debut film "Molasses," about a destitute former sugar-producing town, was shown at the Latin American Film Festival of Havana in 2012 and won an independent critics' prize. But it had to wait almost a year for its theatrical release, and was screened only in one cinema. Once the jewel in the crown of Latin American cinema, years of neglect have led the domestic industry to a crisis, says Lechuga. "It's simple -- Cuban cinema and its filmmakers need to be strengthened. Now, more than ever, we need to feel loved, respected," he said. "We are not the enemy. We're trying to make a better country. What is there to fear?" American support for Cuban filmmaking is being offered, but it is coming from the independent sector rather than the big Hollywood studios. During Havana's film festival in December, a Sundance Institute delegation of directors, writers and actors including Ethan Hawke put on workshops on screenwriting, production, editing and scoring. The institute, which has history of engagement with Cuba going back to the 1980s, is returning in July with a program of screenings to introduce Cuban audiences to US and international films, and the people making them. The focus, said the international director of the organization's feature film program Paul Federbush, has always been to support emerging Cuban artists. "The recent opening of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the US presented a unique opportunity for Sundance Institute to return to Cuba at a culturally and politically crucial moment," he told AFP. (AFP)

Hollywood goes to Havana now that it can, while the Cubans wonder what they're getting out of it

Cuba&#39;s iconic capital Havana is set to receive another boost to its flourishing tourism industry as the Caribbean city was chosen as one of the seven &#39;Wonder&#39;&nbsp;cities&nbsp;of the world in a global online poll. 
 
The global competition was organised by the Swiss New7Wonders foundation and put Havana in fourth place, behind the cities of Beirut, Dohan and Durban. 
 
The public vote was whittled down from 28 shortlisted cities. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s the achievement of the Cuban people, of the experts, all the fans, the tourists who love Cuba, to have voted for La Habana, I think it&#39;s an important recognition because it creates consciousness, consciousness of conservation and also consciousness to project the future of the city,&quot; said Bernard Weber, founder and president of the New7Wonders Foundation. 
 
With nearly 500 years of history under its belt, the Cuban capital has drawn large crowds to its prized place in the Caribbean for centuries. According to officials behind the vote, Cuba&#39;s revolutionary history, liberal lifestyle, socio-economic cities and architecture put it ahead of dozens of other cities vying for the much-coveted title. 
 
The Morro Castle, the Alicia Alonso Grand Theatre and the Giraldilla statue are among Havana&#39;s icons. 
 
A monument will be unveiled at Havana&#39;s San Salvador de la Punta castle to celebrate the capital&#39;s new title. 
 
Official events will also be held until this Saturday&nbsp;to celebrate the honour including ballet performances and concerts from performers like the Buena Vista Social Club. 
 
The title comes as Cuba&#39;s tourism industry sees record numbers of international visitors following its truce with former Cold War foe the United States.&nbsp;Cubans see the accomplishment as a crowning moment. 
 
&quot;This naming is owed to our roots, our&nbsp;culture, the diversity there is in the Cuban population, the contrast between the old and the new, which is surging now, and that makes it all beautiful,&quot; said Cuban citizen, Yelina Aguilera. 
 
Cuba received a record 3.52 million visitors last year, up 17.4 per cent from 2014. American visits rose 77 per cent to 161,000, not counting hundreds of thousands of Cuban-Americans. 
 
No European or North American cities featured in top 7. The full list of winners in alphabetical order are Beirut, Doha, Durban, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, La Paz and Vigan.

The Cuban capital was chosen as one of the seven in a global online poll by a Swiss-based foundation

Cuba's iconic capital Havana is set to receive another boost to its flourishing tourism industry as the Caribbean city was chosen as one of the seven 'Wonder' cities of the world in a global online poll. The global competition was organised by the Swiss New7Wonders foundation and put Havana in fourth place, behind the cities of Beirut, Dohan and Durban. The public vote was whittled down from 28 shortlisted cities. "It's the achievement of the Cuban people, of the experts, all the fans, the tourists who love Cuba, to have voted for La Habana, I think it's an important recognition because it creates consciousness, consciousness of conservation and also consciousness to project the future of the city," said Bernard Weber, founder and president of the New7Wonders Foundation. With nearly 500 years of history under its belt, the Cuban capital has drawn large crowds to its prized place in the Caribbean for centuries. According to officials behind the vote, Cuba's revolutionary history, liberal lifestyle, socio-economic cities and architecture put it ahead of dozens of other cities vying for the much-coveted title. The Morro Castle, the Alicia Alonso Grand Theatre and the Giraldilla statue are among Havana's icons. A monument will be unveiled at Havana's San Salvador de la Punta castle to celebrate the capital's new title. Official events will also be held until this Saturday to celebrate the honour including ballet performances and concerts from performers like the Buena Vista Social Club. The title comes as Cuba's tourism industry sees record numbers of international visitors following its truce with former Cold War foe the United States. Cubans see the accomplishment as a crowning moment. "This naming is owed to our roots, our culture, the diversity there is in the Cuban population, the contrast between the old and the new, which is surging now, and that makes it all beautiful," said Cuban citizen, Yelina Aguilera. Cuba received a record 3.52 million visitors last year, up 17.4 per cent from 2014. American visits rose 77 per cent to 161,000, not counting hundreds of thousands of Cuban-Americans. No European or North American cities featured in top 7. The full list of winners in alphabetical order are Beirut, Doha, Durban, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, La Paz and Vigan.

Havana honoured as one of seven 'Wonder' cities

havana

Havana, News on Havana, stories on Havana, articles on Havana, Havana stories at Wion, Havana news, Havana latest news