Morning Briefing

GlobalPost reports on Cuba's medical outreach to Africa, writing, "A generation ago, Fidel Castro sent Cuban soldiers to intervene in African civil conflicts and fight the Cold War against U.S. proxies. Now, Cuba's doctors are fanning out across the continent as the island expands its role in administering medical services to some of the world's most ailing countries." The news service continues, "Some 5,500 Cubans are already working in 35 of Africa's 54 countries, Cuban Foreign Ministry official Marcos Rodriguez told reporters this week at a press conference in Havana," noting, "Of those, 3,000 are health professionals, and 2,000 are doctors, he said."