Clinton: US policy towards Cuba failed

Eh! Ooh! Damn commies![/old man]

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that US policy towards Cuba has failed, welcoming an offer to talk from the Cuban president.

She said the US was "taking a serious look" at how to respond to President Raul Castro's comments, which she called an "overture".

Mr Castro had said he was ready for discussions covering human rights, political prisoners and press freedom.

The US passed a law this week easing restrictions on Cuban Americans.

The move will allow Cuban Americans to visit relatives in Cuba and send money home more easily.

Thailand revokes passport of former premier

Another blow for anti-government protesters in Thailand.

BANGKOK (AFP) — Thailand revoked the passport of Thaksin Shinawatra on Wednesday, escalating a campaign against the fugitive former premier and his allies for allegedly inciting deadly anti-government protests.

Police said they were also hunting the main organisers of the demonstrations that left two people dead and 123 injured this week, after a court issued arrest warrants for Thaksin and 12 top supporters.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has vowed to prosecute all leaders of the rallies, which broke up on Tuesday after troops threatened to use force against thousands of demonstrators camped outside his offices.

Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said Thaksin's passport was withdrawn for inciting protests that forced the cancellation of a summit of Asian leaders on the Thai coast on Saturday.

"The ministry can cancel or recall a passport if it can prove that a person has caused damage to the country," he told AFP.

Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and lives in exile to avoid a two-year jail term for corruption. He has made a series of speeches to his supporters in Thailand in recent weeks calling for a "revolution".

In a television interview filmed in Dubai before the passport announcement, the billionaire tycoon denied the official charges that he had incited violence.

"I feel very tragic on what is happening among the Thai people. But I am not instigating it," he told Al-Jazeera English. "I keep telling them every day, the message is peaceful, peaceful, peaceful."

The 59-year-old added that he would be prepared to return to Thailand to face justice if numerous cases against him, which also include previous charges of graft, were investigated by a "neutral body".

The government cancelled Thaksin's diplomatic passport in December.

Thai police said earlier they were searching for the other protest leaders named in arrest warrants. Three have been charged and are in detention while the others remain at large.

The warrants accuse them of breaching the emergency measures put in place in Bangkok on Sunday, threatening acts of violence and inciting others to break the law.

"An investigation team is looking for them and checking their home towns to present warrants," said Bangkok police commander Lieutenant General Worapong Shewpreecha.

"Police have checked with immigration and found that there are no records of them leaving the country," he said.

Troops and police on Wednesday manned security checkpoints around the capital but Panitan said Abhisit wanted to lift the state of emergency "as soon as he can" to help local businesses.

Bangkok residents celebrated the end of the protests with the traditional pastime of soaking each other with water on final day of Buddhist New Year celebrations Wednesday.

Demonstrators loyal to Thaksin, known as "Red Shirts" because of their trademark attire, surrounded Abhisit's offices three weeks ago to demand his resignation before moving to the resort of Pattaya to disrupt the Asian summit.

They accuse British-born Abhisit of being a stooge of Thailand's military and of coming to power illegally after Thaksin's allies were removed from government by a court in December.

Somali pirates attack another U.S. ship

Somali pirates have attacked and damaged an American ship carrying humanitarian aid. But the ship and crew are safe under Navy escort.

A US Central Command spokesman says the Liberty Sun reported being attacked around 11:30 yesterday morning. The vessel's owner, Liberty Maritime Corporation, said the pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons. The ship was en route from Houston to Mombasa, Kenya.

The military spokesman, Navy Captain Jack Hanzlik, says the Liberty Sun has a crew of about twenty.

New investigation into Easter jam

Governor Deval Patrick and Transportation Secretary James Aloisi are calling for an investigation into Sunday night's huge traffic jam on the Mass Turnpike. Traffic was bumper to bumper at the Weston tolls, backing up for five to seven miles at times.

Some suggest the backups were caused by a toll-collector sickout, but the Turnpike Authority says it was more likely caused by a change in policy combined with heavy holiday traffic.

Accused Nazi accessory remains in U.S.

John Demjanjuk, who is accused of being a Nazi death camp guard is back home after his deportation to Germany was stopped by a federal court.

Family spokesman Ed Nishnic, who's also Demjanjuk's former son-in-law, says his family will continue to fight the deportation.

"Don't forget he was extradicted back in 1986 wrongfully for something he didn't do by the very same people that tried to have him extradicted again," Nishnic says.

The arrest warrant in Germany claims Demjanjuk was an accessory to about 29,000 deaths.

Obama names "border czar"

A former federal prosecutor will oversee issues on the US-Mexico border, including drug violence and illegal immigration through the Southwest.

An anonymous Obama administration official says Alan Bersin will be named the so-called border czar today. Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano is expected to announce his appointment.

The Obama administration has promised to crack down on border violence and drugs and arms trafficking.

Bay State faces more budget cuts

More tough times are ahead for the Bay State.

Governor Deval Patrick says the state is facing a budget deficit of $156 million - costing the state more than 750 jobs. It may even grow by another $400 million before June.

During a news conference Tuesday, the governor said he would close the current gap with federal recovery funds, budget cuts, and spending controls. Included are mandatory unpaid furloughs, and Patrick will take a five day leave himself.

This marks the third round of budget cuts in Massachusetts.