Havana named as host city for 2017 International Jazz Day

Herbie Hancock has twice before visited Havana to perform intimate solo-duet concerts with his Cuban counterpart Chucho Valdes, but at the end of April the two renowned jazz pianists will be collaborating on a grander scale. Hancock and Valdes will be serving as artistic directors for the 6th International Jazz Day.

Most offensive Cuba stunt of the year: PETA goes slumming

Don't they know that it would be impossible for Cubans to follow a vegan diet, due to the scarcity of certain food items? Don't they know that street dogs in Castrogonia need much more than "dog treats", or that these dogs could be someone's next meal? Why would they be any better informed than the rest of the American people as a whole, or less attracted to the thrill of slumming in a repressive hell-hole and gazing at the ill-fed primitive natives with utter contempt? Why, Mildred, just last night I heard a very highly-placed world-class American scholar talking about the great Porterhouse steak he ate at a "private" restaurant in Castrogonia. He had no clue that such a meal is totally inaccessible to Cubans.

Miami’s Little Havana has been named a ‘National Treasure’

Little Havana is a place where many of us grew up and for me, the source of the fondest memories of my life: Visiting the "Army/Navy" store on Calle Ocho and then having churros across the street; riding my bike to Shenandoah pool; eating pan de gloria from the bakery across the street from the Wing Ditsy ; playing basketball at Brian park; Kung Fu movie double features at the Tower Theater; riding my bike down 27th avenue all the way to the Grove; eating freshly baked Cuban bread from Ayesteran; bowling at the Coliseum; block vs. block street football games on 10th street; the marzipan from Perezsosa Bakery.

Sorry Lopez-Rivera but Dr. Biscet is the real political prisoner

As some in the left cheer the commutation of Oscar Lopez-Rivera's sentence, their romantic choice of a political prisoner in the U.S., a real political prisoner was arrested in Cuba. We are talking about Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, the well known dissident who got in trouble with the Castro regime years ago when he refused to perform abortions.

Havana hails end to special US immigration policy for Cubans

The Cuban government hailed President Barack Obama's decision ending automatic legal residency for any Cuban who touches U.S. soil, while ordinary citizens mourned the end of an easy pathway to a new life in the United States. Average Cubans and opponents of the island's communist leaders said they expected pressure for reform to increase with the elimination of a mechanism that siphoned off the island's most dissatisfied citizens and turned them into sources of remittances supporting relatives who remained on the island.

Cuba’s cult of personality dictatorship passes anti-‘cult of personality’ law

For nearly six decades, Cuba has been ruthlessly and mercilessly ruled by Fidel Castro and his cult of personality. The island is plastered from end to end with thousands of signs and murals depicting the image of Fidel and quoting his Marxist exhortations to do more for less.

Cuban President Raul Castro faces deep problems in 2017

In this March 21, 2016 file photo, Cuban President Raul Castro, right, lifts up the arm of U.S. President Barack Obama, at the conclusion of their joint news conference at the Palace of the Revolution, in Havana, Cuba. Next year will likely be Castro's toughest year in office since he took power in 2006, as the 85-year-old general faces a possible economic recession alongside a hostile new U.S. administration promising to undo measures that gave many Cubans expectations of a better future.

HBO Documentaries Illuminate Castro’s Brutal Cuba

HBO should get a little trophy from the television industry for giving executives something to talk about at holiday parties besides falling ratings and the specific level of Hell that should be reserved for whoever invented this internet thing . Instead, they can ponder over the question: Is HBO's documentary division the most genius outfit in television, or just the luckiest? Months ago, HBO acquired two unheralded documentaries on Cuba, then booked them for the very moment when Fidel Castro would head off to the great workers' collective in the sky .

Castro’s death end of era, but oppression likely to continue

Fidel Castro's death certainly is the end of an era, that of the cult of personality that kept Cubans oppressed and without economic opportunity for decades. For more than half a century, Castro ran Cuba as a communist enclave in the new world.

Flights land in Havana as country mourns

Passengers erupted into applause as the first commercial flight from the United States to Havana in more than 50 years landed in Cuba, arriving as the island begins week-long memorial services for revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. Cubans saluted the packed American Airlines flight by spraying water from firetrucks above the plane as it taxied along the runway at Jose Marti International Airport in honor of the inaugural voyage.

First commercial US-Havana flight lands as country mourns

Passengers erupted into applause as the first commercial flight from the United States to Havana in more than 50 years landed in Cuba, arriving as the island begins week-long memorial services for revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. Cubans saluted the packed American Airlines flight by spraying water from firetrucks above the plane as it taxed along the runway at Jose Marti International Airport in honor of the inaugural voyage.

Trump vows to end US-Cuba “deal” unless Havana makes better one

This file photo taken on October 22, 2016 shows President-elect Donald Trump during a campaign event at the Eisenhower Hotel in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. US President-elect Trump on November 28, 2016 threatened to put an end to the thaw in ties with Cuba unless Havana makes concessions on human rights and opening up its economy.

US braced for new influx of Cuban immigrants in wake of Fidel Castro’s death

US is braced for a new influx of Cuban immigrants in wake of Fidel Castro's death as previous generations who have settled in America say they WON'T return to the island US authorities fear thousands of Cubans will take advantage of Fidel Castro's death to flee the island and move to Miami. Miami Dade County Schools Superintendent Albero M Carvlho warned that thousands of Cubans may arrive in Miami with their children.

Cubans fret over life after Castro with Trump next door

A woman walks past a photograph of former President Fidel Castro after the announcement of his death, in Havana, Cuba, November 27, 2016. Photo: Reuters From the Bay of Pigs invasion to a historic visit by President Barack Obama to Havana, Cubans have known for generations that whenever the United States turns its face to Cuba, Fidel Castro would be staring right back.

Improved US-Cuban Economic Ties in Doubt when Trump Assumes US Presidency

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman meets with Cuba's Minister of Foreign Trade Rodrigo Malmierca in Havana, Cuba, Oct. 7, 2016. The nascent growth in U.S. business ventures in Cuba is now in doubt, with uncertainty whether U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will carry out his campaign vow to undo President Barack Obama's diplomatic thaw with the communist island that ended five decades of hostilities between the two countries.

History will judge Fidel Castro’s era, Obama saysWorld leaders react…

The death of Fidel Castro was long in coming, and so world reaction was somber and introspective from foes and friends alike. President Barack Obama alluded to both the history of animosity between the United States and Cuba and the advent of change in those relations.

Brynne Edelsten showcases her trimmed-down figure in a floral tank top

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