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10/31/09 - PRENSA LATINA - ENGLISH NEWS CAST

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Evening Transmission



Friday, October 30, 2009



For up to the minute news: www.plenglish.com







CUBA-NATIONAL NEWS CUBA



LatAm Integration a Must, Says Cuban Official



Michael Douglas in Cuban Bodeguita´s Gallery



Turkey Condemns US Blockade on Cuba



Cuba Food Industry Grows Steadily



Improved Strategy to Preserve Cuban Soils







INTERNATIONAL NEWS







LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN



Barbados Bank Predicts Unemployment



Zelaya Restitution, Result of Popular Struggle



Uruguay Candidate for More Investment



Chilean Karate Athletes to Visit Cuba



Argentina rejects Uruguayan Statements



Haiti Senate Removes Prime Minister



Chile, Argentina Tighten Ties



Brazilian Clashes Kill 82







US, CANADA, EUROPE



Recession is not Over in the US: Experts



WHO: A (H1N1) Vaccines Are Safe



US Blockade "Absurd," Says Ecuador



Spanish Catholics Want Cuban 5 Free







AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST







ASIA AND AUSTRALIA



ASEAN: Working Group on Climate Change



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CUBA-NATIONAL NEWS CUBA



LatAm Integration a Must, Says Cuban Official



Havana, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) Vice President of the Council of Ministers of
Cuba, Ramiro Valdes, highlighted on Friday the need to advance in the
regional integration process during the inauguration of the 40th Meeting of
Ministers od the Latin American Integration Organization (OLADE).



The meeting was also presided over by OLADE Executive Secretary Carlos A.
Florez and Cuban ministers Yadira Garcia (Basic Industry) and Rodrigo
Malmierca (Foreign Trade and Investment), among others.

Today, MERCOSUR, the Group of Rio, CARICOM, ALBA and ALBA-linked PETROCARIBE
are examples that countries of the area started a definite path to make
themselves be taken into account and respected on the world scene, said
Valdes.

He referred to reflections by Cuban leader Fidel Castro entitled "A Species
in Danger of Extintion" and "The Serious Obama," as a significant
contribution to projections of OLADE actions.

He noted that efforts, projects and programs under more just principles of
solidarity not depending on foreign interests are being agreed in the
region.

Together we can face great challenges posed by world capitalist crisis, one
of the most shocking elements of which is the international energy crisis
and its severe impact on the economy and the environment, the Cuban official
said.

We see OLADE as the regional energy organization that uses the significant
knowledge heritage accumulated during 36 years of constant work to benefit
the nations and the peoples, he added.

He said to be certain that results of the meeting will contribute to
strengthen OLADE's role as an organization specialized in energy at the
service of the ongoing pro-integration process.

ef rma rs







Michael Douglas in Cuban Bodeguita´s Gallery



Havana, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) US actor Michael Douglas left his mark on
Cubans after he staged an impromptu tour in Havana, where he walked and
enjoyed the tastes, smells and landscapes of this Caribbean city.



One photo of him and all the workers at Boguedita del Medio bears testimony
of this visit, hanging at the famous bar La Bodeguita del Medio, in
Empedrado Street, at Old Havana's historic center, a place for reunion of
intellectuals, politics and art celebrities since the last century.

Douglas arrived unexpectedly in Havana last weekend and his visit followed a
path probably designed by talks between his father, the legendary Kirk
Douglas, with movie stars of his time.

One of the starting points of the walking tour around Havana of the Wall
Street protagonist was Cuban Hotel Nacional, which has accommodated
illustrious personalities like Marlon Brando, Kevin Costner, Ava Gardner,
Frank Sinatra and Pierce Brosnan, among others.

Later, he visited the restaurant-bar El Floridita and Ernest Hemingway's
private sanctuary, where he used to get at noon, after he finished a day of
work, among other sites he toured.

La B del Medio, as it is also known, couldn't be left out that walking tour,
which took him all around the four colonial squares of Old Havana, posing
for pictures and acting courteous and friendly with Cubans.

His visit to La B del Medio has been registered in the gallery of that
ancient tavern that also welcomed several Nobel prizewinners in Literature,
like Hemingway and Chilean Pablo Neruda.

gdb/ag







Turkey Condemns US Blockade on Cuba



Havana, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
State Cemil Cicek condemned in this capital on Friday the US economic,
commercial and financial blockade that has been imposed against Cuba for
almost 50 years.



Cicek congratulated the Cuban people for its recent victory in the United
Nations voting, in which most of the member countries were opposed to the US
blockade.

After laying a wreath at the bust of the Turkish independence father Mustafa
Kemal Attaturk, Cicek expressed his hope for the future elimination of the
US blockade against Cuba, said the Cuban News Agency on Friday.

Cicek expressed his wish to strengthen the Turkish ecomomic and
collaboration relations with Cuba in sectors such as culture, health,
technology and research.

iom/tac/joe







Cuba Food Industry Grows Steadily



Havana, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) The predicted increase in the Cuban food
industry for 2010 corroborates the sector's sustained growth in the last
five years.



Food Industry Minister Maria del Carmen Concepcion said a strategic program
has been organized to ensure good results, replace imports, increase
exports, and raise productivity and efficiency levels.

There is a shortage of financial and material resources, but food production
will increase if "we work seriously, controlling and saving," the minister
said at the 11th conference of the sector.

The main steps in the Cuban food industry aim at industrializing
agricultural and fishing products, as well as others related to flour, soft
drinks, and beverages.

According to official estimates, Cuba has set up 980 bakery units, 35 soy
yogurt plants, 30 noodle factories, and 21 soft drink lines in the last five
years.

iom/dig/dsa







Improved Strategy to Preserve Cuban Soils



Havana, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) Cuban workers and specialists work Friday on
the national strategy update and improvement to preserve and improve soils
during the period 2009-2015.



The initiative pursues the application of currently- in- force measures for
those objectives and the implement of other derivatives of recent
investigations, explained Director General of the Soil Institute Dagoberto
Rodriguez to reporters.

The notable decrease of the use of mineral fertilizers on croplands of the
Caribbean island stands out among the best results of the program, said the
official.

The use of bio fertilizers and organic matter, as the compost and worm
humus, was multiplied with the objective of maintaining and conserving
soils.

Rodriguez pointed that 38 projects are carried out of which 31 are
technological innovations and were developed in Basic Units of Cooperative
Production and Agricultural Production Cooperatives, as well as those of
Credit and Services.

Official information indicates that 30 percent of Cuban soils are
productive.

ef lch das



INTERNATIONAL NEWS







LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN



Barbados Bank Predicts Unemployment



Bridgetown, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) Governor of the Central Bank in Barbados
Marion Williams predicted on Friday an unemployment increase and a national
economy in decline during the last quarter of 2009.



According to the officer, the low influx of tourists as a result of the
current global financial crisis reduced activities in all the sectors of the
country since the beginning of this year.

This situation led to a gross domestic product (GDP) decrease by 4,4 percent
due to the loss of a big number of jobs, mainly in construction, transport,
communication and services, pointed out the governor.

Williams predicted that the negative tendency of the national economy during
the last quarter of 2009 will be extended until the end of next year. This
will increase the unemployment in the Caribbean Island.

On the other hand, she urged the government and private sectors to redouble
efforts to keep as much people as possible in their jobs.

The official added these alternatives will help to keep businesses open, to
register incomes and to promote the increase of economical activity.

ef cpr ymr







Zelaya Restitution, Result of Popular Struggle



Tegucigalpa, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) Restoration of constitutional order in
Honduras and restitution of President Manuel Zelaya will be the result of
the long people's anti-coup resistance, Presidential Spokesman Rasel Tome
said on Friday.



In remarks to Prensa Latina by phone, Tome also highlighted the role of
Latin American people's solidarity and the widespread condemnation of the
coup of June 28.

Tome, a Zelaya's aide and also a leader of the Liberal Party's anti-coup
trend, declared himself moderately optimistic about the likelihood of
reaching a negotiated solution to the crisis triggered by the coup.

According to the latest reports, representatives of Zelaya and of the de
facto president Roberto Micheletti signed an eight-point agreement that
paves the way to the former's conditional return to his post.

The parties started talks on October 7, sponsored by the Organization of
American States, but eight days ago they reached stalemate in the point
regarding Zelaya's restitution until its signing today.

The agreement leaves the decision to reinstate Zelaya on Congressional hands
after consulting the Supreme Court of Justice, which approved his overthrow
in late August.

Tome said that with this agreement one of the thorniest issues of the
negotiation based on the so-called San Jose Agreement, proposed by Costa
Rican President Oscar Arias, is overcome.

He announced the start of a popular mobilization in all the country's
department to urge Congress to rectify the mistake made by the majority by
stripping Zelaya of the presidency and promoting Micheletti to the post.

He said that most Congress incumbents aspire to re-election and want
electoral results to be recognized by the international community, which
made the polls conditional on the restoration of democracy.

Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators gathered today outside Honduras
National Congress to demand the approval of the agreement on the restitution
of constitutional President Manuel Zelaya.

"We hope Congress will approve it this week, thus preventing more sacrifice
from the people," said Rafael Alegria, leader of the National Front against
the Coup.

ef rma car







Uruguay Candidate for More Investment



Montevideo, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) The Frente Amplio (FA) Uruguayan
presidential candidate, José Mujica, told the local press on Friday that
"only if we multiply investments we will have a modern country".



Mujica rose the state investment in order to make the best of the results
generated by the investment process and took Finland, Norway, Sweden,
Denmark and Island as example.

He warned "It is impossible to talk about Uruguayan unity, possible national
agreement policies, common worries or help, if there is not the same
constructive attitude regarding investment; this is not negotiable".

The left coalition's representative said that a continuous course of a
growth and development process requires a fair income redistribution.

Mujica told it is necessary to have tools, equipments and training in
specializing trades in order to generate more jobs.

According to the presidential candidate, it is impossible to materialize
private capital without a public intervention able to generate; and added
that the foreign partners "can help with the new marks conquest".

He said "there is any doubt that a country has to offer guarantees and
stability to make businessman feels safe".

Mujica and his ticket partner, Danilo Astori achieve the greatest number of
votes (48 percent) in October 25 elections, although that number was not
enough to win the first round.

Next November the FA and National Party's representatives, Luis Alberto
Lacalle-Jorge Larrañaga, will meet again.

ef gpm wap







Chilean Karate Athletes to Visit Cuba



Santiago de Chile, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) The Chilean karate team, headed by
Gabriela Bruna, gold medal in the Karate Open Tournament in Copenhague,
Denmark a month ago, will come to Cuba for some training work.



The Chilean team will also concentrate on a training period in Cuba,
including a control competition for the South American Games in Medellin
2010.

Bruna will travel to Cuba on Tuesday, accompanied by another four Chilean
medalists.

Before travelling this weekend, the team will take part in the International
Martial Arts Tournament in this capital, which will gather 2,500
specialists, including guests from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and
Venezuela.

ef tac jl







Argentina rejects Uruguayan Statements



Buenos Aires, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) Argentinean Foreign Ministry rejected
on Friday statements of Uruguayan officers of the Botnia pulp plant and
described them as unacceptable, groundless and inopportune.



Argentina will no stop announcing these statement to the International Court
of Justice.

The Statement of the Foreign Ministry and the Trade Ministry remembered that
the country proved and announced to the organ that Botnia pulp plant is
already polluting the ecosystem of the Uruguay River.

Besides it proved that in the production and cleaning process had being used
products forbidden by the European Union.

According to unofficial sources Alicia Torres director of Environment said
to Uruguayan press media that the Argentinean party maked contradictory
statements and manipulated data before Hague International Court.

ef cpr mpm







Haiti Senate Removes Prime Minister



Port-au-Prince, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) Haitian government became leaderless
Friday after the Senate removed Prime Minister Michele D. Pierre Louis, who
knew in advance that her destiny as head of state had been already decided.



However, the 60-year-old politician had said on Wednesday in a recorded
statement that the intention of the Parliament's detractors, headed by the
Lespwa party (Hope in Creole language), was to overthrow her government,
which emerged from a crisis that caused removal of her predecessor Jacques
Edouard Alexis from his post.

That was no really the cause of the prime minister's question, but the use
of $197 million that were donated to lessen human and material damages
caused by four storms in 2008 that devastated Haiti.

Prime minister asseted that the resources were cleanly invested and that
senators were informed, and she has ordered three independent audits to
prove it.

The removal will be effective on Friday, after the vote in favor of the
censure motion by 18 of the 29 senatorial members.

In Pierre-Louis' case, the trial lasted almost two months, and taking into
account the disagreements between the Executive and the Legislature, it is
probable that Haiti has to travel again on that rough road.

iom/lch/msl







Chile, Argentina Tighten Ties



Santiago de Chile, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) Chilean President Michelle
Bachelet and her Argentinian pear Cristina Fernandez will sign an important
bilateral Integration and Cooperation Agreement.



Bachelet and Fernandez will also open on Friday night the 29th International
Book Fair (FILSA) that has Argentina as special guest and will be attended
by tens of Argentinean writers.

The Chilean president announced that both governments made the decision of
taking new steps to strengthen and consolidate even more the successful
integration process between Chile and Argentina.

Among the protocols that will be signed on Friday, there is a document that
creates a work team for the preparation of a general agreement on free
circulation of people in both territories, a well as the construction of
tunnels and roads, among other measures.

Official sources recalled that the bilateral trade exceeded $6 billion, and
Chilean investments in Argentina reached $15 billion.

iom/lch/jl







Brazilian Clashes Kill 82



Brasilia, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) A total of 82 persons died last September
in Rio de Janeiro, an average of 2.7 daily, during clashes with the police
in an upturn of violence that affects that Brazilian city today.



Details form the Public Security Institute (PSI) showed that there were 62
deaths in September 2008 and in August 2009 there were 75 acts of
resistance, as the repressive force calls this type of death.

Although the Deputy Secretary of Training and Operational Integration of the
State Security Secretariat Roberto Sá assured there is a downward trend in
this type of cases adding that the law gives the police officers the right
to legitimate defense of himself and someone else.

Since two weeks ago Rio de Janeiro is experiencing the greatest acts of
violence of that last few years because of clashes between rival groups of
drug traffickers for the control of drug sales in the north of the city.

According to the first data revealed by the Police over 40 people died in
one week.

Vehicles Robbery has also decreased as well as thefts particularly of cell
phones to pedestrians and in busses last September, in comparison with equal
month in 2008, according to PSI data.

The report also referred the number of detainees increased from 1,299 in
September 2008 to 1,661 in the same period of 2009.

ef abo ale



US, CANADA, EUROPE



: Recession is not Over in the US: Experts



London, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rebound was
better than expected, but the small print says otherwise according to
specialized British news service Money Morning on Friday.



The good news is based on the government-driven "cash for clunkers"
programme, which has incentivized car owners to trade in their old bangers
for brand spanking new models. Also, potential first-time homebuyers have
been enticed by an $8,000 tax credit to snap up one of the wagonload of
houses that currently stands empty.

Almost all the expansion over the last quarter has been funded by US
taxpayers. It has not been real growth at all, alerts Money Morning
analysts.

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has just found that fully 58 percent of
the public - up from 52 percent in September - believe the recession still
has some way to go. And just 29 percent of those polled believe that the
economy has hit bottom.

According to Simon Johnson and James Kwak of the Washington Post: the
housing tax credit scheme for one "is highly inefficient" in stimulating
consumption, and only "benefits people who already own houses (and their
estate agents) because it's a one-time boost in housing values".

New home sales in September fell by 3.6 percent, to a level almost 10
percent below consensus expectations. And remember, that celebrated 3.5
percent GDP growth rate only covered the quarter up to September.

Since then, several of the major economic indicators have started to look
bad again. Consumer confidence is sinking once more, while last week home
loan applications fell 12 percent on top of a 14 percent slide the week
before.

In a nutshell, the US 'recovery' looks like a false dawn. And that's not
likely to prove good news for Wall Street. US shares have enjoyed a big
rally recently - and jumped up sharply on yesterday's news.

ef







WHO: A (H1N1) Vaccines Are Safe



Geneva, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) All the vaccines against the A (H1N1) virus
produced by several laboratories and under different methods have a very
safe profile, assured an expert from the World Health Organization here
Friday.



The vaccines may be administered even to pregnant women, which is one of the
most affected groups by the disease, said Marie-Paule Kieny, director of the
area of Vaccine Investigation.

The specialist also said in a press conference that the children could be
immnunized after they are six months of age

She also said that according to reports from the WHO Strategic Experts Group
on Vaccination, one single dose of the vaccine is enough to protect adults
and children over 10 years of age.

The recommendation of the group for the children under 10 is that the dosage
might change as a better and fresher information is gotten.

WHO reports said the number of confirmed cases up to now reaches 440,000
with 5,700 dead people.

Tac lgo/vm







US Blockade "Absurd," Says Ecuador



Moscow, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) The US blockade against Cuba is absurd in the
21th century, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said on Friday referring to
the recent overwhelming UN rejection of the measure.



"From its inception, the US blockade was absolutely illegal, as it
threatened international law and human rights, but already into the 21th
century it is something we could describe it as absurd," Correa told Prensa
Latina.

The measure is difficult to be understood, as it can only probably be
explained as stemming from the empires' arrogance, said Correa, who visited
Moscow for three days.

It is really unfortunate that while the whole planet has reached consensus
for the monstrous blockade to be lifted, the United States and Israel
continue opposing, he stressed.

We would have expected more of a country, the president of which has just
won a Nobel Peace Prize, said Correa, who added that the US siege is an
aggression against Cuba and must be stopped.

Ecuador's stand has always been the same and that of our government is much
more radical, and that is that the blockade is unacceptable and must be
lifted unconditionally and as soon as possible, said Correa.

He termed relations of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our
Americas (ALBA) with Russia "excellent."

With the exception of Cuba, the Russian Federation has never had a better
contact with Latin America, specifically with South America, as this country
has been visited by the presidents of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and for
the first time by a head of State of Ecuador, he noted.

That's why I think that relations Russia-ALBA are in a bright moment and
will continue improving and deepening, he said.

ef rma to







Spanish Catholics Want Cuban 5 Free



Madrid, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) The Christian People Coordinating Committee
in Madrid demanded in this capital on Friday that the US government releases
immediately five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters that have been unfairly
imprisoned for 11 years, for trying to thwart terrorist actions against the
island.



Christian communities, strongly rooted in several sectors of the Spanish
society, are supporting the cause of Gerardo Hernandez, Rene Gonzalez, Ramon
Labañino, Antonio Guerrero and Fernando Gonzalez.

They were arrested amid an extremly tense atmosphere, derived from the
unjustifiable blockade the United States has imposed on Cuba for almost 50
years.

The religious organization issued the statement on the occasion of a visit
to Spain by Olga Salanueva and Adriana Perez, spouses of Rene and Gerardo,
respectively.

The Five's alleged crime was gathering information about terrorist plots by
Miami-based anti-Cuban organizations to undermine the Cuban government's
credibility and sow panic among the population.

The Christian people urged Spanish authorities and the European Union to
interfere in the mentioned trial to achieve the prisoners' freedom.

iom/iff/edu



AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST











ASIA AND AUSTRALIA



ASEAN: Working Group on Climate Change



Singapore, Oct 30 (Prensa Latina) A working party made up of the Southern
Asian countries will foster its cooperation in the struggle to climate
change, according to agreement of the Environment Ministers of the region.



Official sources from Singapore noted that the group will assume decisions
of the recent ASEAN summit and was established by the Ministers in this
field in its 11th meeting held in this State-City Thursday.

It will also respond with efficiency to the world efforts to tackle the
climate change problems, they added.

The 10 ASEAN Ministers also analyzed the efforts made in items like the
earth, fire forests and pollution through the border facing El Niño
phenomenon expected for the end of this year and decided to step up
collaboration in that field.

A communiqué from Singapore authorities added that they adopted a mechanism
to provide coordination of regional plans to control oil activity in the
sea.

They also tackle international issues like the water resources, sea and
coast environment, biodiversity and preservation of the nature.

According to the working plan released they will hold talks with their
delegates from Japan, China and South Korea to study measures aimed at
fighting those scourges within the environment of the group known as
ASEAN+3.

ef abo susef abo sus







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