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From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David Byrd reporting. U.S. President Barack Obama held historic talks Saturday with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro, saying that he wants to turn the page on cold war era divisions by engaging with the long isolated Cuban government.
The highly anticipated meeting on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas in Panama is the first formal meeting between leaders of the two nations in more than half a century. Speaking later to reporters, President Obama said Saturday's talks could serve as a turning point as Washington and Havana seek to restore full diplomatic ties. "At the same time, we agreed that we can continue to take steps forward that advance our mutual interests. We'll continue to work toward reestablishing diplomatic relations, reopening embassies in Havana and Washington, and encouraging greater contacts in commerce and exchanges between our citizens." Saturday's talks came after the two leaders announced plans in December to normalize bilateral relations. The U.S. broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1959 after Fidel Castro and his brother Raul led a revolution that ousted the U.S.-backed president. The Saudi-led coalition launched new airstrikes Saturday against Shiite Houthi insurgents in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, killing at least 22 people. Local armed groups have resisted the southernward advance of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, but the insurgents have taken control of key government facilities. Meanwhile, tribesmen and warships believed to be from the coalition are poised to take over the eastern city of Ataq, where Houthis and soldiers loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh have gathered. This is VOA news. Sporadic violence erupted Saturday in Nigeria, with seven people killed as voters went to the polls to elect governors and other state representatives. Voters were choosing 36 state governors, with 29 of the races contested. Turnout appeared to be weaker than in the national presidential election two weeks ago, when Muhammadu Buhari ousted incumbent Goodluck Jonathan. ???Wasu Oseni is one of those voting in Lagos. Modern Nigeria's political history has been marred by coups and former President Jonathan became the first head of state voted out of office in a peaceful change of power. An Egyptian court has sentenced Mohammed Badie, the leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, and 13 other defendants to death for inciting violence. The sentences handed down Saturday also included life imprisonment for a U.S.-Egyptian citizen, Mohammad Soltan, who was convicted of supporting the militant group. The White House released a statement late Saturday calling for Mr. Soltan's release. The statement said the United States remains deeply concerned about Mr. Soltan's health which has suffered during his 20-month-long incarceration. The sentences can be appealed - a process that could take several years. The men are among the thousands detained after the ousting of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Survivors and veterans who liberated the Buchenwald death camp in Germany gathered to mark 70 years since its liberation during World War II. Unlike Auschwitz in Poland, Buchenwald was not one of the death camps designed by the Nazis as their "Final Solution" plan systematically to annihilate European Jews. It was equipped, however, with crematoria and gas chambers. Fifty-six thousand people, 11,000 of them Jewish, perished at Buchenwald. At the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia, American Jordan Spieth has a four-stroke lead over Englishman Justin Rose headed into Sunday's final round. The 21-year-old Spieth fired a two-under-par 70 in the third round and is 16-under-par 200 for the tournament. Rose shot a five-under-par 67 Saturday and is 12-under-par for three rounds. Two-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson of the United States is in third place at 11-under-par, and four-time champion Tiger Woods is in a five-way tie for fifth 10 strokes off the leader. For more on these stories, please log on to our website voanews.com. I'm David Byrd in Washington. That's the latest world news from VOA. |