Celebration in Cuba over restoration of US/Cuba RElations

HAVANA (AP) — Bells tolled in celebration and teachers halted lessons midday as President Raul Castro told his country Wednesday that Cuba was restoring relations with the United States after more than a half-century of hostility.

Fidel and Jimmy Carter in 2000 

Guillermo Delgado, a 72-year-old retiree, welcomed the announcement as "a victory for Cuba because it was achieved without conceding basic principles."

Yoani Sanchez, a renowned Cuban blogger critical of the government, however, said the development came with a price. Castro, she wrote, had made a "bargaining chip" of Alan Gross, the U.S. aid worker who was released from prison Wednesday while the U.S. freed three Cubans held as spies.

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Obama and Castro

The U.S. initially recognized the new government but broke relations in 1961 after Cuba veered sharply to the left and nationalized U.S.

As Cuba turned toward the Soviet Union, the U.S. imposed a trade embargo that has remained in place since 1962. Particularly since the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Cubans have confronted severe shortages of oil, food and consumer goods, forcing them to ration everything from beans to powdered milk.

The Cuban government blames most of its economic travails on the embargo, while Washington has traditionally blamed Cuba's Communist economic policies.

While the measures announced Wednesday don't include a lifting of the trade embargo, Cubans hope they will see more tourists and more hard cash.

-Cuba negotiations, which Castro said had been facilitated by the Vatican and the Canadian government.

Havana resident Gabriel Serrano said, "Raul, Fidel, Obama and the pope are covered with glory. ... I'm 71 years old and this is news that I've waited so long for."

Mandela must be smiling as Obama and Raul Castro shake hands

At the University of Havana, a spontaneous celebration erupted with students leaving their classrooms waving Cuban flags and singing.

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White House Celebrates Diwali

 The White House celebrated Diwali by lighting the White House diya, as Michelle Obama addressed the gathering in the Blue Room. This marks the fifth time that the Obamas have celebrated Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights.

The First Lady chatted conversationally then took a more solemn tone:

As you may know, we’ve celebrated this holiday here at the White House every year since Barack took office. And there’s a reason why we've done that, and I mentioned it to the kids -- when we say that we want to make the White House the “people’s house,” we mean all people. We mean that we want to honor and embrace all of the many cultures and faith traditions that make us who we are as Americans. And Diwali is very much one of those traditions.

The President earlier made a statement about Diwali:

For the Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists celebrating Diwali this weekend, the Festival of Lights reaffirms the things in life that matter most. Dancing, celebration, and good food remind us that life’s greatest joys are the simple pleasures that come from spending time with people we love. Contemplation and prayer remind us that that people of all faiths have an obligation to perform seva, or service to others. And the flame of the diya, or lamp, reminds us that light will ultimately triumph over darkness.

Here in the United States, Diwali also reminds us that our nation is home to many faiths and traditions, and that our diversity makes us stronger, which is why I’m proud that this year Democrats and Republicans in Congress joined together for the first-ever celebration of Diwali on Capitol Hill. Over the last five years, Michelle and I have been honored to have the chance to observe this ancient holiday, both at the White House and in India, and we wish all those celebrating this weekend a Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarak.

Meanwhile, US Senators John Cornyn and Mark R Warner, co-chairs of Senate's bipartisan India Caucus, announced that they would introduced a bipartisan resolution in the Congress to recognise the religious and historical significance of Diwali.