The central Cuban province of Villa Clara and its northern keys expect an increasing number of visitors from over 20 Latin American cities, who begin to arrive here today on a first flight by Panama´s Copa Airlines.

In October 187, 311 tourists arrived in Cuba, representing a growth of 11.5 percent over the same month of 2013, reported the Cuban National Bureau of Statistics and Information (ONEI).

Nguyen Huu Tri, Deputy Finance Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, announced the donation of five thousand tons of rice to Cuba, on behalf of the people and government of the Asian nation.

The 2014-2015 Sugar Cane Harvest kicked off in Cuba with expectations to increase the sugar output between 15 and 20 percent over the last campaign´s total production.

Cuban economy will continue to improve despite the US blockade, external financial restrictions and the international situation, said Economy minister Marino Murillo as he submitted on Friday the 2015 Economic Plan at a meeting of the Council of Ministers presided over by President Raul Castro.

Academic and scientific institutions of Cuba and Argentina expressed on Tuesday in this capital their intention to concrete projects for the development of products of great social impact, like biomaterials and medicaments.

Chilean foreign minister Heraldo Muñoz described as very positive the recent visit to Cuba by business people from his country and expressed his government´s intention to deepen commercial and cooperation relations with Havana.

More than 50 nations buy Cuban medicines and technologies, one of its main export items, said Victor Faife Perez, head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Services in the Ministry of Public Health.

With the 2nd Memories Resorts Golf Tournament in Varadero, the Canadian company Blue Diamond ratified its intention of consolidating and expanding its presence in the main tourist areas of the island.

Manuel Marrero Cruz, Cuban Minister of Tourism, highlighted today in the city of Holguin the favorable conditions the sector has for the proper development of the so-called high season of visitors' arrival to the Cuban archipelago.

A total of 298 agricultural cooperatives were dissolved in Cuba following their incapacity to have appropriate financial performance as it was announced in a meeting of the National Agriculture and Forest Workers Union.

The workers of the sugar industry in the province of Camagüey forecast a 31 percent growth in their production in the coming harvest, compared to last year´s, which will mean about 45 thousand tons more .

Cubana de Aviacion airline company inaugurated on Sunday its first direct flight between Havana and San Jose, Costa Rica. The two-flight weekly connection uses Russian-Ukrainian Antonov 158 planes with capacity for 85 passengers.

Cuba is now offering important foreign investment opportunities in its tourist sector, which is the second major hard-currency earner after the export of professional services.