Radio Havana Cuba, December 30, 1999 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Thursday, December 30, 1999. Today's stories: 1.- TENS OF THOUSANDS MARCH IN SANTIAGO DE CUBA TO DEMAND RELEASE OF ELIAN GONZALEZ 2.- CUBA OFFERS NEW SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ECUADORAN MEDICAL STUDENTS 3.- LAOTIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS COMMEMORATE THE 41st ANNIVERSARY OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION 4.- 17th CONTINGENT OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS BRIGADE ARRIVES IN CUBA 5.- CUBAN EXPERTS INSIST THE 3rd MILLENNIUM BEGINS IN THE YEAR 2001 TENS OF THOUSANDS MARCH IN SANTIAGO DE CUBA TO DEMAND RELEASE OF ELIAN GONZALEZ Santiago de Cuba, December 30(RHC)-- Tens of thousands marched through the streets of Santiago de Cuba on Thursday -- demanding the immediate release of Elian Gonzalez. Marchers filed past the city's monument to one of Cuba's many 19th century Black independence heroes -- General Antonio Maceo. Known as "The Heroic City," Santiago de Cuba has a long revolutionary history. Fidel Castro ignited the struggle against dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1953 when he led an attack against the Moncada military garrison, located in this city - Cuba's second largest. Thursday morning's march took the protesters one full-hour to file past the Maceo monument, on their way to a mass rally. At the rally, Cubans from all walks of life addressed the crowd - denouncing Washington's refusal to return the six-year-old boy to his father. The protests - which have been taking place almost daily since December 5th -- began in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, but moved to different sites this week: the town of Artemisa, the University of Havana and the Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Vocational School. CUBA OFFERS NEW SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ECUADORAN MEDICAL STUDENTS Quito, December 30(RHC)-- Cuba has offered 70 new scholarships to Ecuadorian medical students at Havana's Latin American School of Medicine. Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Benjamin Ortiz and Cuba's ambassador to that South American country, Rene Castro, made the announcement in Quito during a meeting at the foreign ministry. The Cuban diplomat said that the Ecuadorian people greatly appreciate Havana's gesture of solidarity. He announced that in the coming days, a Cuban medical brigade will arrive in that South American country to train area residents of the Amazon region in first aid and primary medicine. The Cuban ambassador to Ecuador stated that areas of cooperation with that country also include sports, education and culture -- adding that bilateral cooperation is expected to increase in the year 2000. LAOTIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS COMMEMORATE THE 41st ANNIVERSARY OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION Vientiane, December 30(RHC)-- The Vice President of the Laotian National Assembly, Khambou Sounixay, said on Thursday that Cuba represents "the bastion of socialism and solidarity." The Laotian official made the announcement during an activity to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. The official, who is also president of the Cuba-Laos Friendship Association, referred to the roots and values of the Cuban Revolution during a meeting with a group of students and representatives from that country. Also participating in the activity were the vice president of the Cuba-Laos Friendship Association and the Laotian deputy health minister. 17th CONTINGENT OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS BRIGADE ARRIVES IN CUBA Havana, December 30(RHC)-- The 17th Contingent of the Southern Cross Brigade arrived in Havana on Wednesday to offer their support to the Cuban people. Nearly 40 Australian brigadistas met on Thursday with representatives of the Cuban diplomatic corps and foreign residents on the island to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. The Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) will officially welcome members of the brigade at the Julio Antonio Mella Camp, located on the outskirts of Havana. Sixteen Friendship with Cuba institutions make up the Southern Cross Brigade, which is based in Australia. Aside from volunteer work, brigadistas travel to Cuba to get a first-hand look at daily life on the Caribbean island. The Southern Cross Brigade will also visit places of economic, social and political interest. CUBAN EXPERTS INSIST THE 3rd MILLENNIUM BEGINS IN THE YEAR 2001 Havana, December 30(RHC)-- The Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment has issued a report stating that the 20th century and the second millennium of the Christian Calendar ends on December 31st of the year 2000. The report, released Wednesday, explains that the polemics generated worldwide around the exact date marking the turn of the 21st century is an old issue, which was first raised by Dionisio in the year 532. At that time, the report says, Western civilization had not yet included the zero in mathematics, something which occurred a few centuries later -- which is why the Christian Calendar marks the birth of Jesus Christ as Year One. [c] 1999, Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. This prohibition includes the distribution of this material via Usenet News, "bulletin board" services, e-mail lists, print media, radio and television. For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We welcome your comments and suggestions. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 791053 Fax: (53) (7) 795007 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org rhc-eng-25371 1999-Dec-30 18:49:34