GULU, Uganda — After one-and-a-half years of rocky peace talks between the government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), northern Ugandans are cautiously courting freedom. Although many internally displaced people are still sleeping in the camps they’ve called home for about a decade now, they’re beginning to move furniture and farming tools back to their village homes. Meanwhile, in the northern town of Gulu, new hotels and apartment buildings are being constructed and buses are now leaving for Kampala, the southern capital, at 11 p.m. (A late-night trip was unthinkable just three years ago, when rebels could be [...]
SEOUL, South Korea — The world-renowned New York Philharmonic has added another country to its list of international concert stops. On Tuesday, America’s oldest orchestra played to a full house at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in North Korea. But the real star of the show, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, was nowhere to be seen. There had been speculation that Kim, who is said to be a music aficionado, might show up at least during the intermission. The philharmonic’s repertoire for the evening included Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” and George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.” The 105-member orchestra [...]
FIDEL’S FAMILY MATTERS — If Fidel Castro had wanted to establish a dynasty he has the sons to do it, although none — as far as is known — holds government or party office. The least visible is oldest son Fidelito, a Moscow-trained physicist now around 58, and totally out of the limelight. Cuban exile circles in Miami say two other siblings, Alexander and Alexis, are both cameramen. Then there’s Alejandro (El Comandante apparently has a thing about Alexander the Great) the computer programmer, Antonio the orthopedic surgeon, and the youngest, Angel, occupation unknown. Fidelito’s mother is Marta Diaz-Balart, whom [...]
