Communism

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Hard Workers in Cuba Will Finally Get Their Due

Wages will be tied to productivity

(Newser) - Raul Castro has ordered employers to create new salary structures that include extra pay for increased productivity—a bold departure, by Cuban standards, from Socialist orthodoxy, the Miami Herald reports. Under the current system, workers get a flat fee based on their job descriptions with no hope for incentives. Low...

US Firms Complicit as China Fortifies Police State

'Bush would do what they are doing here in a heartbeat if he could,' expert says

(Newser) - Free Tibet protests 3 months ago allowed China to road-test a new security network before the summer Olympics, Naomi Klein writes in Rolling Stone. Under the so-called “Golden Shield,” China is now installing closed-circuit cameras nationwide linked to facial recognition and other biometric software—technology from big-name US...

Castro Victim's Family Wins Record Verdict

Juror: $253M award shows world not to 'mess' with Americans

(Newser) - Two Miami residents won a record $253 million lawsuit against Cuba yesterday after Florida jurors approved a wrongful death claim on behalf of their father. The case involved the death of Rafael del Pino, a naturalized US citizen and ex-Castro ally who was imprisoned after turning against the Cuban dictator,...

Dressed-Up Pyongyang Hid Grim Reality

N. Korean capital masked poverty for NY Philharmonic's visit

(Newser) - North Korea's capital was prettied up last month to show off the country's nonexistent prosperity to the New York Philharmonic and the accompanying press corps, the LA Times reports. The visitors to Pyongyang ate luxurious meals in newly painted hotels, but after they finished, the lights went out. "As...

Raul Castro Is New Cuban Prez
Raul Castro Is New Cuban Prez
UPDATED
Feb 24, 2008 1:33 PM CST

Raul Castro Is New Cuban Prez

But brother Fidel won't be far away

(Newser) - Raul Castro will succeed long-ruling brother Fidel as the president of Cuba, reports the Miami Herald, after members of the National Assembly voted today. The current defense minister and first VP of the national committee, 76, was the only candidate endorsed by a nominating committee, and his ascent is expected...

Steely Ra&uacute;l's Time Is Now
Steely Raúl's Time Is Now
Feb 20, 2008 9:37 AM CST

Steely Raúl's Time Is Now

Low-profile No. 2, Fidel's 'organizational glue,' steps into Cuba's top job

(Newser) - The Castro brothers overthrew a dictatorship and won a revolution together, but while charismatic Fidel was the public face giving passionate seven-hour speeches, steely Raúl quietly got it done—ruthlessly sending dissenters to the firing squad, earning him the nickname "the Prussian." As Fidel fades, writes the...

Oscar Niemeyer Threw Life a Curve or Two

The Brazilian architect, famed for his spiraling designs, turns 100

(Newser) - Oscar Niemeyer turned 100 this weekend, but the famed Brazilian architect is still planning for the best years of his life: he’s still developing bold designs—including a museum that resembles a giant eye—starting a magazine, and he recently remarried. Niemeyer, who soared to fame in 1956 after...

China&rsquo;s Hot Seller: the Bible
China’s Hot Seller: the Bible
Dec 8, 2007 9:02 PM CST

China’s Hot Seller: the Bible

It sells by the millions, but isn't allowed in bookstores

(Newser) - It's not in China's bookstores, but the Bible remains one of the country's bestselling books, the Times of London reports. Today China's one authorized Bible publisher, Amity Printing, proved it by producing its 50th millionth copy. Yet Bibles remain a hot issue in China, for police sometimes arrest Bible smugglers,...

Gorbachev Goes Easy on Putin, for Now

Ex-leader defends prez, even as Kremlin rolls back democracy

(Newser) - Gorbachev remains pals with Putin, even as the Russian prez pares back reforms that Gorbachev holds dear, the Wall Street Journal reports. The former leader reserves his blame for the Kremlin, and spares Putin, calling him "a very normal person"—even after Moscow shut down Gorbachev's political party...

Secret Poll: Cubans Want Vote
Secret Poll: Cubans Want Vote
Nov 19, 2007 11:26 AM CST

Secret Poll: Cubans Want Vote

Three-quarters would like say in Castro succession

(Newser) - Three-quarters of Cubans surveyed in an unorthodox poll want to vote on Fidel Castro’s successor, 79% say the current government can't fix the country’s problems, and 83% want changes in the economic system, USA Today reports. The 600 respondents weren’t told they were being polled—and the...

China Picks New Politboro Young Bloods

Youngest may vie for top spot in 5 years

(Newser) - The Chinese Communist Party named its newest leaders yesterday, including the man favored to succeed current president Hu Jintao, reports the Washington Post. Xi Jinping, 54, is the son of a Chinese guerrilla leader who rose to the top of the Shanghai branch of the Communist Party, making him a...

Cuba Celebrates Che
Cuba Celebrates Che
Oct 8, 2007 5:16 PM CDT

Cuba Celebrates Che

Casto, too weak to attend, calls comrade 'a flower yanked prematurely from its stem'

(Newser) - About 10,000 Cubans gathered today to honor Che Guevara, the man who helped Fidel Castro take power in the 1959 communist revolution. Calling Che "a flower yanked prematurely from its stem," Castro, too weak to attend, praised the icon in a message read to the crowd. The...

Berlin Synagogue Reopens
Berlin Synagogue Reopens
Aug 31, 2007 10:10 AM CDT

Berlin Synagogue Reopens

Country’s largest synagogue survived century of strife

(Newser) - Germany’s largest synagogue has re-opened its doors after a major restoration, welcoming political leaders and Holocaust survivors to its unveiling. Built over 100 years ago, the Berlin temple was burned on Kristallnacht but the structure survived Nazism, Communism and decades of neglect. Architects re-created the original appearance with the...

Stories 41 - 53 | << Prev