News Wrap: Leaders of U.S. and Cuba to meet for first time in decades

JUDY WOODRUFF:

President Obama and Cuba's president Raul Castro will meet tomorrow — a historic encounter en route to restoring diplomatic ties. That word came from White House officials today, at the Summit of the Americas being held in Panama. Leaders of the two countries have not held any substantive, face-to-face discussions in decades.

Federal authorities have charged a Topeka man with plotting a suicide car bomb attack at Fort Riley, Kansas.

John T. Booker allegedly planned a strike in support of the Islamic State group. He was arrested today near Manhattan, Kansas. The FBI said security at the base was never breached.

Tiny towns in northern Illinois picked up the pieces today, after a tornado struck late Thursday, killing two people.

At least one twister cut a path through Fairdale and Rochelle — some 80 miles northwest of Chicago.

70 or more homes were destroyed and fire officials reported just about every building in the area was damaged. The local sheriff lost his own home.

BRIAN VANVICKLE, Sherriff, Ogle County:

The damage is pretty significant. I mean, the houses that are affected are severely affected. They're gone for the most part. Uninhabitable. There's no – doesn't appear to be houses with minor damage, it's pretty much just devastation to where the tornado went through. This time it appears to be at least a quarter mile wide if not a little bit wider than that.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Some people were trapped in wrecked buildings for 90 minutes after the tornado struck. Officials said today they're trying to determine if anyone is still missing

In Yemen, much-needed medical assistance arrived in the embattled capital of Sanaa. Thirty-five tons of equipment and supplies were unloaded from two planes sent by the Red Cross and the United Nation's Children's Fund. And the situation in Aden was growing desperate, as well.

Dounia Delkhili of Doctors Without Borders had been in Aden until yesterday.

DOUNIA DELKHILI, Program Manager, Doctors Without Borders:

So it's more than 20 days we witness daily, heavy street fighting in different part of the city. Really heavy, we have received so far more than 6,000 injured.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Also in Pakistan, the accused mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks in India was released on bail.

A Pakistani court ruled that Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was to be freed, pending trial. He's facing terrorism charges in the deaths of 166 people in Mumbai.

India criticized the release, and the U.S. State Department said it's gravely concerned.

China today rejected president Obama's complaint that it's intimidating neighbors in the South China Sea.

The Chinese have been aggressively building up bases on man-made islands in the disputed region.

But in Jamaica yesterday, Mr. Obama said just because china is larger, does not mean countries like the Philippines and Vietnam can be elbowed aside.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:

Where we get concerned, with China, is not necessarily abiding by international norms and rules and is using its size an muscle to force countries into subordinate positions.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

That drew a response today in Beijing, where the Chinese foreign ministry turned the charge back on Washington.

HUA CHUNYING, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman (through interpreter):

You've said that the U.S. leader has said that China is showing its size and muscle. I think everyone can see very clearly who it is showing the biggest size and muscle. I think you would agree with my words that China has always been a resolute maintainer and pusher of peace and stability in the South China Sea.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Beijing claims the bases its building will be primarily for scientific research and environmental preservation

Back in this country, Wall Street scored gains across the board, partly on the news that General Electric will sell its financial arm, GE Capital. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up almost 100 points to close above 18-thousand.The NASDAQ rose 21 points. And the S&P 500 added 11. For the week, the Dow and the S&P gained more than 1 and a half percent. The NASDAQ rose more than 2 percent.