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U.S. willing to 'Help' Cuban transition

By TIMES WIRES
Published February 2, 2007

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said on a trip to Mexico on Thursday that Washington is willing to help Cuba become a more democratic society. Gutierrez suggested in September that Cubans could hold a referendum on whether they want democracy. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Thursday that Fidel Castro has visibly improved, describing how the ailing leader has gained weight and is walking.

Parliament offers wartime amnesty

Parliament has voted for an amnesty for leaders accused of war crimes during a quarter-century of fighting, arguing that it would help heal deep divisions. The resolution, passed in the lower house Wednesday, covers the mujahedeen leaders who led the resistance against the Soviet occupation of the 1980s and later turned their weapons on one another. Rights activists have called for warlords to face prosecution for the massacres and torture they allegedly committed, especially during the 1992-96 civil war.

Elsewhere

London: Police have questioned Prime Minister Tony Blair for a second time about allegations that political honors - including seats in Britain's House of Lords - were traded for cash, his spokesman said Thursday.

Paris: Eighty-one journalists and media staffers were killed worldwide in 2006, making it the deadliest year for reporters in more than a decade, Reporters Without Borders said Thursday.

[Last modified February 2, 2007, 01:43:37]