South Korea considers Cuba among its potential markets aimed at alleviating a setback of its exports, according to the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Asian nation.

The Brazilian Odebrecht Infrastructure Works Company will increase operations in Cuba after receiving authorization from local authorities to become a user of the Special Development Zone in the western Mariel Bay area, plus another two contracts in the sugar and civil aeronautical sectors.

The governments of Cuba and France signed on Monday several bilateral cooperation instruments in various sectors, in the context of the state visit to that European country of the President of the Cuban councils of State and Ministers, Raul Castro, Prensa Latina reported.

Havana will have 30 new WiFi zones in 2016, two more by municipality, which will facilitate access to the service, Odalys Rodriguez del Toro, director of Havana Division of Cuban Telecommunication Company (ETECSA SA), told ACN.

Copa Airlines will start direct flights to eastern Holguin province by mid 2016, from the Hub in Panama City.

Cuba and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) signed on Thursday two protocols of international cooperation, on trade and scientific and technical development, the Prensa Latina news agency reported.

Maria del Carmen Concepcion Gonzalez, Cuban Minister of Food Industry, started today a working visit to Angola, in the context of strengthening bilateral and cooperation relations, Prensa Latina reported.

The new regulations announced by the United States towards Cuba allowing the granting of credits and easing travel restrictions by US citizens to the island are positive but do not yet pose a significant change on the US economic, commercial and financial blockade of the island.

Alfredo Lopez Valdes, Cuban Minister of Energy and Mines, who is on a working visit to Japan, called for expanding cooperation between the two countries in this sector, said Prensa Latina news agency.

Over 40 new foreign investment projects are currently under negotiations with Cuban authorities, as a multimillion business with the Dutch Unilever was recently approved.

Cuba will participate from January 21st through the 24th in the 36th edition of the International Tourism Fair (Fitur 2016) of Madrid, one of the main tourism markets for the island.

Despite the impact of the severe drought in the reduction of the production volume of the current coffee harvest, over 90 percent of the crop in the province of Sancti Spiritus was characterized as first and second grade quality.

Far from being a requirement many working places violate the established working hours in State installations.

Cuba reported an outstanding growth in the number of tourists in 2015, when over 3.5 million foreigners visited the island nation, according to a report issue by Professor Jose Luis Perello.