US and Cuba to restore commercial flights after 50-years

The United States and Cuba have finally concluded a deal to restore commercial flights for the first time in more than five decades. There would be nearly 110 daily flights from the US to different cities across Cuba - 20 of these would be regular daily flights to Havana by next autumn.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 16 February 2016.

At present US airlines operate 10 to 15 charter flights into the Cuban capital per day. Therefore, this deal marks one of the more significant developments between the former Cold War foes. It has happened after presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro announced a normalizing of relations in December 2014.
The conclusion of the deal represents a critically important milestone in the US effort to engage with Cuba because this travel agreement opens up the door for US airlines to start bidding on the new routes. American Airlines, which has operated charter flights into Cuba since 1991, has indicated that it would bid on commercial routes from Miami and other US hubs.
Other airlines that have shown an interest are United, Southwest, Delta, JetBlue and Spirit - they also are keen to secure daily routes into Cuba.
Incidentally, in spite of the new agreement, tourism to Cuba remains barred by US law. However, the number of legal reasons for US travelers to go to Cuba have been widely extended and, in fact, are loosely enforced.



Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Cuba could soon become a favored tourist destination for Americans

#Havana #Cuba #RaulCastro #BarackObama #tourists With the thaw in relationship between the old Cold War foes US and Cuba, progress is visible following a second round of discussions to end a half-century diplomatic freeze as reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 1 March 2015.
President Barack Obama and his counterpart Raul Castro have promised to restore embassies in each other’s capitals. Some hurdles still remain, including the one of Cuba’s place on the US blacklist of state sponsor of terrorism.
Anyway, the rural communities of Cuba could real benefits from an influx of American tourists because, the fresh relations between the two governments could provide a boost to allow the isolated communities to look for new economic opportunities once the US fully lifts its ban on trade and travel. Havana, the capital of Cuba, was seen as a party destination for Americans years ago due to its close proximity to Florida.
It is in the villages where visitors can experience a side of the Caribbean island that few holidaymakers bother to see. In the villages, the number of cars is less, the farm workers harvest tomatoes by hand, and the farmers sell their produce and meat at roadside stands. Goods are transported by horse and buggy or tractor.
Of course, life in 'the real Cuba' and talks between US and Cuban officials continue with an eye to restore full diplomatic relations and, ultimately, move towards opening trade.

Beijing migrants or Rat Tribes live in underground bunkers built by Mao

#undergroundbunkers #beijing #bombshelter The migrants in Beijing are known as Rat Tribe and they had moved into the city with dreams of making it big but, for these countryside-bred people, life in Beijing is not cheap. Hence, they have literally gone underground. They number nearly one million and have set up home in the underground bunkers that had been built by Mao as revealed in dailymail.co.uk dated 2 February 2015.
The bunkers had been built in 1969 under Chairman Mao's rule during the Cold War because there were fears of an imminent Soviet attack. Cities were accordingly ordered to prepare safety measures and that led to approximately 20,000 bomb shelters being dug.
Subsequently, after the death of Mao, and taking over by Deng Xiaoping, the defensive tactics were sidelined and resulted in the creation of innumerable underground bunkers. It turned out to be a labyrinth of caves.
These bunkers are located near the deserts of the north east and is a welcome environment for all seasons: cool in summer, warm in winter. Of course, while most of the people who live there want to move on to bigger and better things above the ground, the vast majority appears to be content as well as grateful.