Cuba

Fidel Castro, turning 83, still a force in Cuba

Fidel Castro is not the presence he once was in Cuba after three years out of public view but as he turns 83 Thursday he still has clout and is working to ensure the island stays communist long after he is gone.

Guantanamo conditions improve under scrutiny: ICRC

The International Committee of the Red Cross has won improvements in conditions and treatment of U.S.-held terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay by dogged but confidential scrutiny, its president said Tuesday.

Afghan jail conditions may hamper Guantanamo prosecutions

US military prosecutors allege that Ahmed al-Darbi has met with Osama bin Laden, trained at an Al Qaeda terrorist camp, and plotted to blow up a ship in the Strait of Hormuz or off Yemen.

Cuba: Why Dr. Darsi Ferrer is in prison

Simple, because the good Doctor tells the truth about life in Cuba. Officially, they have charged him with possession of stolen goods, in this case black market concrete, the only concrete available for Cubans to fix the houses they live in, as houses fall down while awaitingthe communist state issue.

Detainee questions hinder Obama's plan to shut Guantanamo

Washington: Less than six months before his self-imposed deadline to shut down Guantanamo, US President Barack Obama faces key fights over where to move detainees and how to prosecute them.

Central Cuba crash kills 14, injures at least 33

Fourteen people are dead and at least 33 hospitalized after two trucks loaded with passengers collided in the central Cuban province of Ciego de Avila.

Gitmo still far from Geneva Conventions: lawyer

The United States has a long way to go to ensure the Geneva Conventions are respected at the Guantanamo Bay prison for terrorism suspects, despite reforms by the Obama administration, a human rights lawyer said.

Cuba Reduces Retinitis Cases

Havana, Aug 3 The Cuban Public Health displays among its achievements the reduction of the development of the pigmentary retinitis, an eye disease suffered by some 5,000 people in this country.

In Cuba, the ox may be mightier than the tractor

In China it's the year of the ox -- and it could be for Cuba, too. President Raul Castro is promoting the beasts of burden as a way for the economically strapped communist country to ramp up food production while conserving energy.

Official: Closing Gitmo prison can be done by Jan.

The White House national security adviser says he's confident the administration will meet President Barack Obama's deadline for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility by January.

Capital Comment: Rubio's mentor endorses Crist

Gov. Charlie Crist gets a big-name endorsement every day, it seems, as his U.S. Senate campaign times the announcements to maximize the impact.

The Portable Castro: Cuba Issues Fidel Dictionary

Cubans accustomed to hourslong speeches, thousand-word essays and lengthy interviews can now get Fidel Castro at a glance, thanks to a new dictionary of El Comandante's teachings.

Cuba's Resorts Welcome A New Clientele: Cubans

Miles of beaches and a wide selection of hotels have long lured foreign tourists to Varadero, Cuba.

Yemen welcomes US detainee release, calls for more

SAN'A, Yemen - The Yemeni government welcomed on Saturday the release of two Yemenis jailed in the U.S. over terrorism charges, and called for the return of those still held in Guantanamo Bay prison.

Afghan jail conditions hamper Gitmo prosecutions

U.S. military prosecutors allege that Ahmed al-Darbi has met with Osama bin Laden, trained at an al-Qaida terrorist camp, and plotted to blow up a ship in the Strait of Hormuz or off Yemen.

outFarpress presents: The Shortwave Report

Summary: A weekly 30 minute review of news and opinion, recorded from a shortwave radio.

Kansas Senators Block Obama Nominees To Protest Guantanamo Detainees' Move To Kansas Prison

Kansas' two U.S. senators are blocking 10 of President Barack Obama's nominees for senior administration posts at the Pentagon and Justice Department in protest over a proposal to house Guantanamo detainees at the Fort Leavenworth prison.

Cash-strapped Cuba says toilet paper running short

Cuban flags fly beside the Interests Section Office of the United States in Havana a day before the 56th anniversary of the start of the Cuban revolution, July 25, 2009.

Portugal taking 2 Syrian Guantanamo detainees - AP

A A A' Portugal has agreed to take two Syrian detainees from Guantanamo on humanitarian grounds, the government said Friday A A A' becoming the third EU nation to accept inmates from the U.S. military prison.

Cuba restricts energy use

Cuba restricts energy use Factories shut, workdays shortened to cope with financial crisis By WILL WEISSERT The Associated Press Sat.