Cuba Cabinet, Largely Unchanged, Gets Lawmakers’ OK

Cuban lawmakers on Saturday approved the Cabinet named by new President Miguel Diaz-Canel, keeping most of the ministers from Raul’s Castro government in place, except for in the key post of economic reform. Cuba’s national assembly was also considering a proposed reform of its 1976 constitution that would reshape its government, courts and economy, creating …

Russia, France Cooperate on Aid to Syria’s Civilians

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone on Saturday to discuss joint humanitarian efforts in Syria, a day after France sent 50 tons of medical aid. France sent the aid after Russia agreed to facilitate transport of the aid to government-controlled eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus …

Soviet-Era Cars On Parade In Moscow

A flashy parade of classic Soviet cars was held in Moscow on July 21. The fifth-annual parade, which was followed by an auto rally through the center of the Russian capital, featured some 133 crews driving classic Soviet-era cars. The most-popular car brands were GAZ, Moskvich, and Volga. …

Report: FBI Vastly Undercounts Anti-Arab Hate Crimes     

There were nearly twice as many anti-Arab incidents in 2015 and 2016 as were reported by the FBI, underscoring the shortcomings of official statistics at a time of rising hate crime in the country, according to a comprehensive report on hate crime by the Arab American Institute in Washington. Using data collected by state law …

Israeli Soldier Killed by Palestinian Sniper Near Gaza

Israeli airstrikes pummeled Hamas targets in Gaza, killing four Palestinians, mostly Hamas operatives, after Palestinian snipers killed an Israeli soldier near the border Friday, officials said. The military said a “terrorist squad” fired at troops, and one soldier was severely injured and later died of his wounds. He was the first Israeli military fatality in …

Pentagon to Give Ukraine $200 Million More in Military Aid

The U.S. Defense Department says it will give $200 million to Ukraine to help bolster its military’s defensive capabilities. The Pentagon said in an announcement Friday the money will be used to help fund military training, equipment and advisory assistance. All the military aid is nonlethal in nature. A timeline for delivery of the aid …

Vietnam’s Censorship Expands to Popular, Official News Website

Vietnam’s suspension of a popular news website known for hard-hitting stories is the latest move in a burgeoning effort to limit expression that rattles the image-conscious Communist leadership, experts say. On Monday the head of media under the Ministry of Information and Communication shut down the Tuoi Tre website for three months. The news outlet …

Spanish Judge Drops Extradition Requests for 6 Catalans

A Spanish Supreme Court judge has dropped his extradition requests for six Catalan separatist politicians wanted on rebellion charges. They include Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s ex-regional president who fled to Belgium to avoid arrest and then went to Germany.   The moves comes after a German court recently ruled Puigdemont couldn’t be sent back to Spain …

Montenegro Says it Embraces Peace and Stability

Montenegro says it “contributes to peace” in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent claim that the “very aggressive people” of the the small Balkan country could start World War III. In a statement released Thursday, the Montenegrin government said it “contributes to peace and stability not only on the European continent, but worldwide, along …