CHINA – — Chinese authorities are determined to increase the international presence of domestic films, with a fresh government circular promising to award those performing well in the overseas market. A Chinese producer or agent authorized to handle the overseas business of a domestic film will be awarded if the film’s overseas box office reaches at least one million yuan (153,400 U.S. dollars), according to a notice published Wednesday by the national film industry development special fund management commission, an institution under the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. The circular did not specify how much money will be given out, although it did say that the award amount will not exceed one percent of the film’s international box office. (Xinhua)…[+]

CUBA – U.S. President Barack Obama was received by Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana on Monday at the start of historic talks where the U.S. leader will press his counterpart for economic and democratic reforms while hearing complaints about U.S. sanctions. Obama arrived in Cuba on Sunday on a trip that comes 15 months after he and Castro agreed to end five decades of Cold War-era animosity and work to normalize relations. On the first full day of his visit, he went amongst other places to the heart of Cuba’s Communist system, laying a wreath in Revolution Square at the memorial to independence hero Jose Marti. A U.S. presidential visit to the inner sanctum of Cuban power would have been unthinkable before Obama and Raul Castro’s rapprochement in December 2014.(Reuters)…[+]

RUSSIA –Investigators working to extract data from flight recorders from a flydubai jet that crashed in Russia say they are “significantly damaged.” Flight FZ981 from the United Arab Emirates was making its second attempt to land in Rostov-on-Don early Saturday when it crashed about 250 meters from a runway, killing all 62 people on board. The flydubai plane had aborted an initial scheduled landing and circled for more than two hours in poor weather conditions above Rostov-on-Don airport. Russian state media reported strong winds and poor visibility at the time. The search operation at the crash site ended Sunday, with investigators moving on to the cause of the accident and identification of bodies, officials said.(CNN)…[+]