AIN

Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat Dies at 75

Havana, Nov 11 (AIN) The President of the Palestine National Authority Yasser Arafat died early Thursday at Percy military hospital in the French capital Paris, where he was in critical health since arriving on October 29, reported Granma newspaper in an official note.

Arafat’s death was confirmed both in Paris and in Ramallah, the West Bank city where the Palestinian leader commanded resistance actions against constant persecution by Israeli forces over the past three years.

The French News Agency, AFP reported that Dr. Christian Estrepeau, from the French army medical service in the city of Clamart, where the Percy hospital is located, confirmed that Arafat died at 02:30 UTC.

In a televised appearance in Ramallah, Tayeb Abdel Rahim, senior aide to Yasser Arafat announced: “The son and leader of Al Fatah, the President of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the person who achieved its unity and who was the President of the Palestine National Authority has passed away.”

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and French President Jacques Chirac were two of the first world leaders to publicly express their condolences for the death of Yasser Arafat, whose funeral services will officially take place in Cairo, Egypt on Friday. Arafat will be buried in Ramallah according to Palestinian tradition.

Town Hall Cooperation and Solidarity with Havana Event to Open

Havana, Nov 11 (AIN) Over 500 foreign delegates are to attend the 12th Meeting for Cooperation and Solidarity of Town Halls with Havana, to be held in the Cuban capital from November 13- 15.

The most important of the many activities commemorating the 485th anniversary of the city’s founding has the confirmed assistance of 120 mayors, including those from the capital cities of Cape Verde, Guyana, India, Congo, Tanzania and Nigeria.

In all, the representatives of local governments to attend hail from 37 countries with the largest delegations expected from Spain and Mexico, said Rey Pino, deputy director of the Foreign Relations department at Havana City Hall.

Besides strengthening ties and sister city relationships with Havana’s 15 municipalities, the delegates will have the opportunity to learn about the social and economic transformations and the new programs of the revolution, as well as express their rejection of Washington’s four decade blockade against Cuba.

On Saturday participants will visit the International Sports Institute and the Computer Science University.

The following day they will be welcomed at the different Havana municipalities and in the evening attend a cultural gala with traditional Cuban music.

The cooperation and solidarity event shifts to the Havana Convention Center on Monday where statements will be made by mayors, vice mayors, governors and leaders of solidarity with Cuba organizations.

In 1932 the Ibero-American cities agreed to hold annual meetings in solidarity with Havana. The first ten gatherings were only regional but later extended to the world.

The organizers say they will continue to convene as long as Washington’s blockade against the Cuban people remains in place.

Forum on Cuban Five in New York

Havana, Nov 11 (AIN) A forum on the five Cubans held as political prisoners in the United States is scheduled to take place November 20 in New York and important legal and religious figures are planning to attend.

The event will be held at John Jay College and will gather well- known US attorneys Leonard Weinglass and Linda Backiel, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and Reverends Lucius Walker and Luis Barrios, who will give conferences on the issue.

The event is sponsored by the New York Free the Five Committee and the Puerto Rican and Latin American Studies Departments of John Jay College, reports Juventud Rebelde newspaper on Thursday.

Also slated for the activity is a special performance by hip hop star Bojah who has been threatened by the US State Department for having traveled to Cuba.

Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio Guerrero, Rene Gonzalez and Fernando Gonzalez were arrested in 1998 and condemned to harsh sentences by a biased Miami court in 2001 for the "crime" of uncovering terrorist plots against Cuba being planned in South Florida.

On March 10, defense attorneys made their appeal for a retrial to a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals based in Atlanta. Eight months later a ruling is still pending.

Cuban Labor Leaders Meet with British Lawmakers in London

Havana, Nov 11 (AIN) A national delegation of 27 union members from the Cuban Workers Confederation (CTC) met Wednesday in London with a parliamentary group in solidarity with Cuba.

During the meeting held at the Westminster Palace parliament building, the Cuban labor leaders exchanged views on several issues with members of the British Trade Union Congress and the Cuba Solidarity Campaign.

The president of the parliamentry group, Ian Gibson, expressed the British legislators determination to defend Cuba.

He further noted that Cuban labor unions have made great efforts to boost the island’s economic and cultural development.

Gibson said the Labor Party will continue its work aimed at providing British parliamentarians with more information about Cuba.

Cuba to Participate in World Youth Chess Championship

Havana, Nov 11 (AIN) International chess master Yunieski Quesada will be Cuba’s favorite son at the 43rd World Youth Chess Championship scheduled for November 18-30 in Kochi, India.

Quesada, the island’s national chess champ, was part of the Cuban team that participated at the recent World Chess Olympiad in Palma de Mayorca, Spain. “

I hope to do quite well since I’ve trained appropriately. The recent chess Olympiad also served as good preparation for this event,” Quesada told the AIN news agency.

The Cuban chess master was considered the best Cuban chess player in 2003 following his significant victory over Mexico’s Carlos Torres in the Memoriam Championships.

Meanwhile, Cuba’s National Chess Director, Gerardo Anaya, said that though Cubans have been absent from world youth championships for the past three years, he expects the team to perform well – recalling the titles won by Walter Arencibia in 1986 and by Lazaro Bruzon in 2000.

Cuban master Jennifer Perez, vice-champ a year ago, will also represent Cuba in the Indian championships.