Latest news with #Communist-run
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Cuban students seek concessions as frustration grows over internet rate hikes
By Dave Sherwood and Mario Fuentes HAVANA: Cuban students clamored on Wednesday for further concessions to roll back a rate hike on internet data, saying a decision on Monday to offer them discounted access did not go far enough. Students of at least one department at the University of Havana , the country's largest, called on their peers to skip classes in protest of the price hikes, which have been rebuked across the Caribbean island nation. Reuters spoke with several students outside the university on Wednesday who confirmed the calls for a class boycott in some departments. They said the situation remained tense on campus, and the issues unresolved, despite concessions on Monday from state-run telecommunications firm Etecsa that offered deeper data plan discounts for university students. Haydee Fernandez, a 28-year-old student, said the price increases were unreasonable. "I can't study if I don't have up-to-date (online) information," she said. "If it's necessary to stop classes, they should be stopped until there's a logical response to these needs." Four students said attendance appeared largely normal on Wednesday but that many students continued to threaten walkouts. Hany Blanco, 19, a first-year student, said she would continue going to classes but felt prices needed to be rolled back immediately. "The old prices were accessible but now it's gotten very difficult." Etecsa on Friday capped subsidized mobile data plans - offered for a steeply discounted rate of 360 pesos (less than $1 on the informal market exchange) - at six gigabytes, well shy of Cuba 's average monthly usage of 10 gigabytes, according to state data. Prices for an additional three gigabytes soar to 3,360 pesos ($9), more than Cuba's monthly minimum wage of 2,100 pesos ($6). The price hikes - billed by the government as necessary to upgrade ailing infrastructure - have touched a nerve in Communist-run Cuba, where inflation has soared in recent years. The University of Havana acknowledged the debate over the hikes but warned in a statement late on Tuesday that it would not tolerate disruptions to its classes. Cuba rolled out widespread mobile internet in 2018, well behind much of the world. Cellphone data use on the island has soared since, with over 7.5 million users.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuban students seek concessions as frustration grows over internet rate hikes
By Dave Sherwood and Mario Fuentes HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban students clamored on Wednesday for further concessions to roll back a rate hike on internet data, saying a decision on Monday to offer them discounted access did not go far enough. Students of at least one department at the University of Havana, the country's largest, called on their peers to skip classes in protest of the price hikes, which have been rebuked across the Caribbean island nation. Reuters spoke with several students outside the university on Wednesday who confirmed the calls for a class boycott in some departments. They said the situation remained tense on campus, and the issues unresolved, despite concessions on Monday from state-run telecommunications firm Etecsa that offered deeper data plan discounts for university students. Haydee Fernandez, a 28-year-old student, said the price increases were unreasonable. "I can't study if I don't have up-to-date (online) information," she said. "If it's necessary to stop classes, they should be stopped until there's a logical response to these needs." Four students said attendance appeared largely normal on Wednesday but that many students continued to threaten walkouts. Hany Blanco, 19, a first-year student, said she would continue going to classes but felt prices needed to be rolled back immediately. "The old prices were accessible but now it's gotten very difficult." Etecsa on Friday capped subsidized mobile data plans - offered for a steeply discounted rate of 360 pesos (less than $1 on the informal market exchange) - at six gigabytes, well shy of Cuba's average monthly usage of 10 gigabytes, according to state data. Prices for an additional three gigabytes soar to 3,360 pesos ($9), more than Cuba's monthly minimum wage of 2,100 pesos ($6). The price hikes - billed by the government as necessary to upgrade ailing infrastructure - have touched a nerve in Communist-run Cuba, where inflation has soared in recent years. The University of Havana acknowledged the debate over the hikes but warned in a statement late on Tuesday that it would not tolerate disruptions to its classes. Cuba rolled out widespread mobile internet in 2018, well behind much of the world. Cellphone data use on the island has soared since, with over 7.5 million users.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Cuban students seek concessions as frustration grows over internet rate hikes
FILE PHOTO: People pass by an office of state-run telecommunications company ETECSA in Havana, Cuba June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Norlys Perez/File Photo HAVANA - Cuban students clamored on Wednesday for further concessions to roll back a rate hike on internet data, saying a decision on Monday to offer them discounted access did not go far enough. Students of at least one department at the University of Havana, the country's largest, called on their peers to skip classes in protest of the price hikes, which have been rebuked across the Caribbean island nation. Reuters spoke with several students outside the university on Wednesday who confirmed the calls for a class boycott in some departments. They said the situation remained tense on campus, and the issues unresolved, despite concessions on Monday from state-run telecommunications firm Etecsa that offered deeper data plan discounts for university students. Haydee Fernandez, a 28-year-old student, said the price increases were unreasonable. "I can't study if I don't have up-to-date (online) information," she said. "If it's necessary to stop classes, they should be stopped until there's a logical response to these needs." Four students said attendance appeared largely normal on Wednesday but that many students continued to threaten walkouts. Hany Blanco, 19, a first-year student, said she would continue going to classes but felt prices needed to be rolled back immediately. "The old prices were accessible but now it's gotten very difficult." Etecsa on Friday capped subsidized mobile data plans - offered for a steeply discounted rate of 360 pesos (less than $1 on the informal market exchange) - at six gigabytes, well shy of Cuba's average monthly usage of 10 gigabytes, according to state data. Prices for an additional three gigabytes soar to 3,360 pesos ($9), more than Cuba's monthly minimum wage of 2,100 pesos ($6). The price hikes - billed by the government as necessary to upgrade ailing infrastructure - have touched a nerve in Communist-run Cuba, where inflation has soared in recent years. The University of Havana acknowledged the debate over the hikes but warned in a statement late on Tuesday that it would not tolerate disruptions to its classes. Cuba rolled out widespread mobile internet in 2018, well behind much of the world. Cellphone data use on the island has soared since, with over 7.5 million users. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
Cuban students seek concessions as frustration grows over internet rate hikes
FILE PHOTO: People pass by an office of state-run telecommunications company ETECSA in Havana, Cuba June 3, 2025. REUTERS/Norlys Perez/File Photo HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban students clamored on Wednesday for further concessions to roll back a rate hike on internet data, saying a decision on Monday to offer them discounted access did not go far enough. Students of at least one department at the University of Havana, the country's largest, called on their peers to skip classes in protest of the price hikes, which have been rebuked across the Caribbean island nation. Reuters spoke with several students outside the university on Wednesday who confirmed the calls for a class boycott in some departments. They said the situation remained tense on campus, and the issues unresolved, despite concessions on Monday from state-run telecommunications firm Etecsa that offered deeper data plan discounts for university students. Haydee Fernandez, a 28-year-old student, said the price increases were unreasonable. "I can't study if I don't have up-to-date (online) information," she said. "If it's necessary to stop classes, they should be stopped until there's a logical response to these needs." Four students said attendance appeared largely normal on Wednesday but that many students continued to threaten walkouts. Hany Blanco, 19, a first-year student, said she would continue going to classes but felt prices needed to be rolled back immediately. "The old prices were accessible but now it's gotten very difficult." Etecsa on Friday capped subsidized mobile data plans - offered for a steeply discounted rate of 360 pesos (less than $1 on the informal market exchange) - at six gigabytes, well shy of Cuba's average monthly usage of 10 gigabytes, according to state data. Prices for an additional three gigabytes soar to 3,360 pesos ($9), more than Cuba's monthly minimum wage of 2,100 pesos ($6). The price hikes - billed by the government as necessary to upgrade ailing infrastructure - have touched a nerve in Communist-run Cuba, where inflation has soared in recent years. The University of Havana acknowledged the debate over the hikes but warned in a statement late on Tuesday that it would not tolerate disruptions to its classes. Cuba rolled out widespread mobile internet in 2018, well behind much of the world. Cellphone data use on the island has soared since, with over 7.5 million users. (Reporting by Dave Sherwood and Mario Fuentes in Havana, additional reporting by Alien Fernandez and Nelson Acosta; Editing by Rod Nickel)
AsiaOne
29-05-2025
- Business
- AsiaOne
Hanoi bans The Economist's printed issue with Vietnam's top leader on cover, say distributor sources, Asia News
The Economist's latest printed edition for Asia featuring Vietnam's top leader To Lam on its cover has been banned in Vietnam, sources at two local media distributors told Reuters, in a new instance of censorship in the Communist-run country. The May 24 issue, which is still available in the country in its electronic version, portrays Lam with two stars on his eyes on a red backdrop, in a reference to the country's national flag, with the title: "The man with a plan for Vietnam". The subheading on its main Vietnam story said: "A Communist Party hard man has to rescue Asia's great success story". Vietnam's ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry in charge of public information did not reply to requests for comment on the reported banning. The Economist did not immediately reply to a request for comment outside UK business hours. Vietnam routinely prohibits books, movies and other cultural works and multiple media outlets are also banned. "We were given orders to tear off the cover and the article about him (Lam), making the magazine no longer sellable. Later, we were ordered not to sell it at all," said an executive at distributor Ngay Moi, declining to be named because she was not allowed to speak to media. An employee at a second distributor, Global Book Corporation, said Vietnam's ministry in charge of public information banned the distribution of that particular issue, without elaborating on the motivations. A third source at distributor Xunhasaba said it did not have that issue because it had not received enough orders. Vietnam, a Southeast Asian industrial hub, faces a pivotal moment as it seeks to consolidate a prolonged economic boom amid US tariff trade tensions that may undermine its export-oriented growth. The Economist's article described Lam as an ambitious leader who emerged "from the security state" and who "must turn himself into a reformer" to adjust the country's economic model and make it richer. Lam, 67, rose from the powerful ministry of public security, which he had led for years, to reach the top of Vietnam's political hierarchy last year after a months-long power struggle, first becoming president and then head of the communist party, the country's top job. The Economist's cover and articles were reposted thousands of times on social media by users in Vietnam with mixed reactions. "Vietnam is stepping confidently into a new era of growth -and the world is taking notice," Yumi Thao Nguyen, a sales manager, said on LinkedIn with a link to The Economist. Le Thi Kim Ngoc, a self-described "Citizen of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam", said on Facebook The Economist's characterisation of Lam as a hard man "undermine the serious political and social developments currently taking place in Vietnam". The country is ranked 173th out of 180 surveyed nations in the latest press freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders, a non-profit organisation. Authorities in the one-party nation often detain people for "anti-state" online comments and maintain a strict control on the press and social media. Last week Vietnam's technology ministry ordered the ban of messaging app Telegram over alleged crimes committed by its users, noting in an internal document the platform hosted groups created by "opposition and reactionary subjects". Multiple users of the app in the country cannot access it this week. Telegram did not reply to a request for comment about the enforcement of the ban. It had earlier said it was "surprised" by the measure, noting it was responding to newly introduced requirements. [[nid:718391]]
