TheRepublic.com - Cuba News

Yemen welcomes Obama decision on Gitmo transfers

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:17:41 -0400

WASHINGTON - Yemen is welcoming President Barack Obama's decision to lift his ban on the transfer of Yemeni prisoners from the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Dissidents find 'Cuba outside Cuba' in Miami

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:54:59 -0400

MIAMI - When Cuban hunger striker Guillermo Farinas arrived in Miami, he said he was prepared to face rejection from radical members of the Cuban-American community who do not believe in pacific opposition.

Milestones for Guantanamo Bay detention center

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:16:56 -0400

President Barack Obama is expected to reaffirm his 2008 campaign promise to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, where terror suspects have been held since 2002, and begin the transfer of some prisoners to other countries. Here is a look at the history of the military prison's use for terror suspects since 2002.

Obama lifts ban on detainee transfer to Yemen

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:07:42 -0400

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says he is lifting his ban on the transfer of detainees from the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention center to Yemen. And he is calling on Congress to lift its restrictions on detainee transfers, including limits on imprisoning them within the U.S.

Obama defends drone strikes but says no cure-all

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:02:44 -0400

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Thursday defended America's controversial drone attacks as legal, effective and a necessary linchpin in an evolving U.S. counterterrorism policy. But he acknowledged the targeted strikes are no "cure-all" and said he is haunted by the civilians unintentionally killed.

Canada businessman's corruption trial on in Cuba

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:57:47 -0400

HAVANA - A Canadian businessman caught up in a corruption probe in Cuba apparently went on trial Thursday, nearly two years after he was detained and his import company, Tri-Star Caribbean, was shuttered.

Officials say Benghazi suspects under surveillance

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:20:28 -0400

WASHINGTON - Five men are under round-the-clock U.S. surveillance in Libya, wanted for questioning in the attack last year on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. The White House believes there is enough proof for a military force to seize them as terrorist suspects, officials say, but prefers to wait until investigators have enough evidence to try them in a U.S. civilian courtroom.

Venezuela parliament resumes 3 weeks after brawl

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:26:16 -0400

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela's parliament roared back to life Tuesday with fractious debates between government and opposition lawmakers after a three-week paralysis following a brawl on the assembly floor.

Pentagon wants $450M for Guantanamo prison

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:51:11 -0400

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is asking Congress for more than $450 million for maintaining and upgrading the Guantanamo Bay prison that President Barack Obama wants to close.

Cuba lifts ban on energy-hogging appliances

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:34:13 -0400

HAVANA - Cuba has authorized individual imports of appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators and microwave ovens, lifting a ban imposed in 2005 amid a wave of energy shortages and blackouts.

US envoy in Cuba engages critics on and offline

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:23:05 -0400

HAVANA - The meeting on a sunny Havana square was a little bit revolutionary for Cuba's revolution. And for U.S. diplomacy as well.

Internet cable from Cuba to Jamaica comes online

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:44:17 -0400

HAVANA - A new branch of the Venezuela-to-Cuba undersea fiber-optic cable has reportedly come online, linking the island to nearby Jamaica, increasing Cuba's potential international communications bandwidth and providing a backup for the main line.

Guantanamo hack threat prompts WiFi shutdown

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:13:40 -0400

MIAMI - The U.S. military has shut down wireless internet service at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba because of online hacking threats.

AP PHOTOS: Cuba's LGBT community celebrates

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:51:12 -0400

HAVANA - A week of drag shows, colorful marches and social and cultural events in Havana culminates Friday with celebrations of the International Day Against Homophobia.

Photos sought of Guantanamo prisoner hit in clash

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:28:11 -0400

MIAMI - A lawyer for a Guantanamo Bay prisoner is calling on the U.S. Justice Department to release photos of wounds the man suffered when struck with non-lethal rounds at a recent clash with guards at the prison.

Cuban prisoner settles lawsuit against Md. company

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:21:43 -0400

WASHINGTON - An American imprisoned in Cuba settled a lawsuit Thursday against the company he was working for when arrested, a lawsuit that claimed he wasn't properly warned about or prepared for the risks of working in the communist nation.

Colombian government, rebels resume peace talks

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:52:09 -0400

HAVANA - Representatives of Colombia's government and largest rebel army have resumed peace talks in the Cuban capital.

Medical alert in Guantanamo amid hunger strike

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:58:05 -0400

MIAMI - A U.S. military spokesman says medics at the Guantanamo Bay prison were called to a cell amid a long-running hunger strike at the U.S. base in Cuba.

Gitmo prisoner: Obama has 'abandoned' detainees

Tue, 14 May 2013 15:24:36 -0400

WASHINGTON - A Guantanamo Bay detainee says he feels abandoned by President Barack Obama and the world after more than 10 years at the U.S. prison.

Gloria Estefan speaks at Cuba's Independence Day

Mon, 13 May 2013 03:04:54 -0400

MIAMI - Singer Gloria Estefan is expected to speak at a Miami event to commemorate Cuba's Independence Day.

Cuban spy officially stripped of US citizenship

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:33:36 -0400

HAVANA - A Cuban intelligence agent who served 13 years in a U.S. prison has officially been stripped of his American citizenship.

Widow of Boston bomb suspect hires criminal lawyer

Wed, 08 May 2013 20:53:04 -0400

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island - The widow of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev has hired a prominent criminal lawyer with experience defending terrorism cases as she continues to face questions from federal authorities.

Roundup of Arkansas editorials

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:08:20 -0400

Here are excerpts from recent editorials in Arkansas newspapers:

Cuban spy unrepentant, but hopes for better ties

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:09:18 -0400

HAVANA - A Cuban intelligence agent who spent 13 years in a U.S. prison said Monday he still has affection for America and hopes to see the two countries reconcile, but added that he does not regret for a moment his decision to spy for Cuba.

Items from Hemingway's Cuba home go to JFK Library

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:44:29 -0400

WASHINGTON - While most Americans have never seen Ernest Hemingway's home in Cuba where he wrote some of his most famous books, a set of 2,000 recently digitized records delivered to the United States will give scholars and the public a fuller view of the Nobel Prize-winning novelist's life.