Europe Votes to Lift Cuba Sanctions

The European Union has agreed to lift sanctions against Cuba, much to the annoyance of the White House. "We see encouraging signs in Cuba and I think that we should show the population in Cuba that we are ready to work with them," an EU official tells the AFP. It's a largely symbolic victory for Cuba and Spain—which lobbied for the change—because sanctions have been suspended since 2005.

"We're disappointed," says a National Security Council spokesman. "The Castros need to take a number of steps to improve human rights conditions for ordinary Cubans before sanctions are lifted." (More European Union stories.)