First US cruise in decades reaches Cuba
Reuters, Havana
Hundreds of tourists and a handful of emotional Cuban-Americans arrived on the first U.S. cruise ship to sail to Havana in decades on Monday, spilling onto the cobbled streets of the old city where they were warmly greeted by residents.
It was another first for the two countries since U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced a historic rapprochement in December 2014, and comes weeks after Obama’s visit to the Caribbean island.
Refugee sets herself alight at Nauru camp
AP, Canberra
A Somali refugee was critically injured when she set herself on fire at an Australian immigration camp on the Pacific island nation of Nauru three days after an Iranian refugee died of injuries sustained in a similar apparent protest, officials said.
The 21-year-old woman was flown 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) from Nauru to the Australian city of Brisbane on Tuesday after setting herself on fire on Monday, the Nauru and Australia governments said.
Toddler rescued 4 days after Kenya bldg collapse
BBC Online
A seven-month-old girl has been rescued from the debris of a building that collapsed four days ago in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
The six-storey residence came down in heavy rain, killing at least 22 people.
Dozens of others are still thought to be buried under the rubble, but hopes of finding more alive are fading.
Oppon delivers petitions to remove Maduro
AP, Caracas
The opposition turned in petitions to Venezuelan electoral authorities Monday that it said carried signatures of 1.8 million voters seeking President Nicolas Maduro’s removal in a nationwide referendum.
An opposition statement said leaders decided to deliver the petitions in 80 sealed boxes early Monday.
