Wednesday, June 03, 2009 WASHINGTON: A resumption of direct talks between the United States and Cuban on migration issues and a direct mail service is in both countries' interest, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday.Gibbs said President Barack Obama was pleased that Cuba had agreed to the talks."Obviously, it's in the interest of both governments," he said. "Obviously, I think direct mail would increase the ability for the president's initiative to be able to reach out directly to the Cuban people."Though its interest section in Washington, Cuba on Saturday accepted the US invitation to resume talks on migratory issues, which have been suspended since 2003.Mail between the two countries currently goes through third countries.The latest move to thaw relations followed Obama's decision in April to authorize travel and money transfers to the island by US nationals of Cuban descent.
BEIRUT: Thousands of people converged Saturday on central Beirut to mark the fourth anniversary of the assassination of Lebanese former premier Rafiq Hariri.Waving Lebanese flags and carrying pictures of the slain leader, men, women and children gathered under sunny skies in Martyr's Square where members of the parliamentary majority were to address the crowd. The rally comes as final preparations are underway in The Hague for the launch of the international tribunal set up to bring Hariri's killers to justice. It also comes as the country prepares for legislative elections in June that will pit Western-backed political parties against a Hezbollah-led alliance backed by Syria and Iran.Hariri died in a massive car bombing on February 14, 2005 that also killed 22 others. The assassination was widely blamed on then Lebanese power-broker Syria, which has denied any involvement. The attack on the Beirut seafront was one of the worst acts of political violence to rock Lebanon since t...
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