>Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit > >Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 26 May 2000 14:00 > > >*INFORMATICS '2000 CONTINUES IN HAVANA >*FRENCH BUSINESS DELEGATION VISITS CUBA >*INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AIR QUALITY UNDERWAY IN HAVANA >*AGELESS IN CUBA > > >*INFORMATICS '2000 CONTINUES IN HAVANA > >Havana, May 25 (RHC)-- An international seminar on the impact of the >Internet in developing nations was inaugurated Thursday morning by the Cuban >Vice Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment, Daniel Codorniu. > >During the opening ceremony, Codorniu said that in 1993 there were 5,000,000 >Internet users in the world, while today there are 350,000,000. He added >that despite serious economic difficulties and the strengthening of >Washington's economic blockade, Cuba has devoted important resources to the >Internet. First, to guarantee full access to that important source of >information, which happened in October 1996 and then, to expand its services >and possibilities according to available resources and national priorities. > >Developed nations, with only 16 percent of the world's inhabitants, >concentrate 88 percent of Internet users. In the United States, for example, >with only 5 percent of the world population, there're more Internet users >than in the rest of the world. In Africa, the number of Internet users is >barely 0.7 percent. > >The high-ranking Cuban official warned that these are realities that we >should be aware of and against which the world has to fight. One of the ways >of doing so, he added, is by preparing human resources in Third World >countries and exchanging our knowledge and experiences with other nations to >find solutions that may help us face these inequalities. The Cuban vice >minister of science, technology and the environment concluded his speech by >saying that united developing nations can do a lot of things and advance >much more than if they try to do it by themselves. > >Informatics '2000 is being attended by more than 1300 representatives of 160 >companies from 15 nations. > > >*FRENCH BUSINESS DELEGATION VISITS CUBA > >Havana, May 25 (RHC)-- A visiting delegation from the French company MEDEF >continued on Thursday its bilateral contacts with Cuban authorities. > >The visitors received detailed information on the process of economic >recovery and investment possibilities in Cuba. > >Headed by the President of the France-Cuba Committee of MEDEF, Jean >Dominique Ciomolli, the delegation is made up of some 20 business executives >representing sectors such as energy, insurance, transportation, tourism, >trade and finance. > >The visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral trade and exploring >opportunities for future joint projects with the island. > >Cuban First Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade, Orlando Hernandez Guillen, >pointed to the existing Cuban-French joint enterprises in areas such as >telecommunications and the sugar industry. > >France is also Cuba's second most important trade partner in Europe. > > >*INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AIR QUALITY UNDERWAY IN HAVANA > >Havana, 25 May 2000 (RHC) -The City of Havana is currently hosting a >conference on the Quality of Air in the Americas and its direct effect on >the health of the region's populations. > >The event in which specialists and environment authorities from around the >world are participating was inaugurated earlier in the week by the >organization's director, Reinaldo Diaz Veliz. > >Diaz Veliz stated that air pollution causes nearly 3,000,000 deaths >worldwide every year, which is the result of indiscriminate exploitation of >the environment. > >Cuba has been conscious of the dangers of air pollution since the 1970 >creation of the National Network on Air Contamination, which is part of a >greater regional network comprising neighboring countries. > >Dr. Gabriel Toledo, of the Cuban Society for Public Health, Hygiene and >Epidemiology, explained that while the situation on the island is not >anywhere near as serious as in other nations in the region, Havana in >particular is beginning to show signs of significant pollution - the highest >level being that of vehicle emissions. He identified 12 areas in the capital >that due to their proximity to major traffic arteries represent important >health problems for the surrounding inhabitants. > >While it is difficult to pinpoint exact causes, he said, the level of >chronic bronchitis and lung disease in these zones of Havana are >significantly higher than in areas with less vehicle traffic. > >In fact, he added, some 60 percent of the city is considered by authorities >to contain unacceptable levels of air contaminants. > >While many people think that pollution has gone down due to decreased public >transportation and thus fewer emissions, the level of pollution has actually >increased since 1990 with the introduction of more private cars onto the >city's streets. > > >*AGELESS IN CUBA > >Havana, May 25 (RHC)-- A Cuban woman, Eufemia Rojas, turned 111 last March, >after giving birth to 14 children, who in turn produced 84 grandchildren and >300 great and great-great-grandchildren. > >According to an editorial in the Cuban newspaper Juventud Rebelde, of >Eufemia's 14 children, nine are still living; the youngest is 60 and the >oldest, 90. > >Last year, the Cuban press reported on 114 year old Valentina Lopez Garcia, >considered the oldest women on the Caribbean island. However, it now appears >that this woman has a "competitor" in the guise of Benito Martinez, a 119 >year-old man who migrated to Cuba in the early 1900s. > >Life expectancy in Cuba is 75 years and according to experts, those who turn >75 are likely to live another 10 years. This, together with a low infant >mortality rate, 6.4 percent for every 1000 live births, places the island in >a favorable position in comparison with industrialized nations. > >(c) 2000 Radio Habana Cuba. All rights reserved. > >================================================================= > NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems > Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us > 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 > http://www.blythe.org e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >================================================================= > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Missing old school friends? Find them here: >http://click.egroups.com/1/4055/0/_/30563/_/959505185/ >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >Cuba SI - Imperialism NO! >Information and discussion about Cuba. >Socialism or death! Patria o muerte! Venceremos! >http://www.egroups.com/group/cubasi > >Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Change Delivery Options: http://www.egroups.com/mygroups > > > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
