DIAZ-CANEL TO MEET WITH POPE FRANCIS THIS WEEK

HAVANA, June 19th On Tuesday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel will hold meetings with Pope Francis and Italian Head of State Sergio Mattarella, as part of a tour of Europe from June 20 to 24.The Pope’s audience with Diaz-Canel will be strictly private and will take place a few days after Francis was discharged after spending nine days hospitalized for an abdominal hernia operation.

While for his interview with Mattarella, the Cuban president is expected at 4:00 p.m. local time at the Quirinal Palace. Later, Diaz-Canel will travel to the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to meet with Director Qu Dongyu.

The Cuban president will participate this Wednesday in Paris as president of the Group of 77 + China in the Summit for a new World Financial Pact. Diaz Canel also mentioned his visit to Serbia.

“Surely they will be intense days during which we will work to continue promoting and diversifying our ties in pursuit of the development of Cuba,” he tweeted.

The official Cuban delegation is also made up of Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez and other senior diplomats. In the Vatican, Diaz-Canel will also meet with the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin.

Miguel Diaz-Canel is the third president of Cuba to arrive at the Vatican after Fidel Castro met with Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis.

HAVANA, Jun 12 (ACN) A total of 146.2 millimeters (mm) of rainfall have accumulated in Cuba in the first 10 days of this month, which represents 75 % of the historical average for June, according to specialists from the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH).

According to Argelio Fernandez Richelme, director of Hydrology and Hydrogeology of the INRH, it has rained in many places where there was a need for rain, and this has allowed the increase of water accumulated in the reservoirs, vital for the supply of water to the population and economic activities.

The volume of water retained in the reservoirs, at the close of June 10, at 16:00 hours, is 5,829.81 million cubic meters (m3), 63.6% of the national filling capacity, which represents an increase of more than 1,600 million cubic meters in relation to the volume of water retained on June 1, he said.

Rainfalls have been heavy, especially in the eastern region, where the highest record is evidenced: 211.3 mm (141 % of the historical average), said the executive, who also emphasized that as a consequence of these rains, the population and the national economy have been affected by flooded areas.

In the case of the western and central regions of the country, explained Fernandez Richelme, they have averaged 53.9 mm, 23% of the historical average, and 159.1 mm, 76%, respectively.

Regarding the western region, the executive stated that, although it has not rained much in comparison with other areas of the country if it continues to rain as it has been raining up to now, it is expected to reach the average.