Global Warming: President Obama met and shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castro in Panama last night in a brief but significant encounter as the US moves toward normal relations with Cuba. The meeting took place just before a dinner at the Summit of the Americas. Obama and Castro were seated at the same table, with two people between them.

Obama and Castro are expected to meet and talk on the side during the summit. The president said before the event began, “As we move toward the process of normalization, we’ll have our differences government-to-government with Cuba on many issues, just as we differ at times with other nations within the Americas.”

Police Beat: The sheriff of California’s San Bernardino County has suspended 10 deputies involved in the beating of a suspect who had been trying to escape on horseback through the desert. Sheriff John McMahon said at a news conference he was “disturbed and troubled” by what he saw in a video of the incident recorded by a local news helicopter.

The suspect Francis Pusok, 30, threw himself to the ground in surrender before a growing crowd of deputies pounced on him, punching and kicking. It went on for about two minutes as they all got in their whacks.

This comes in the same week that a South Carolina cop was quickly charged with murder after he was recorded shooting a fleeing motorist in the back.

World: India is outraged that Pakistan has decided to release on bail the man accused of being the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai hotel terrorist attack. The US and France joined in expressing dismay over the release of

Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, who still faces trial with six other suspects still face trial in the attack that left 166 people dead.

>Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badie has been sentenced to death along with 13 others for planning attacks against the government. Egyptian courts have handed down hundreds of death penalties in an effort to erase the outlawed Brotherhood, but only one execution has been carried out.

The Sports Page: Golfer Jordan Spieth, 21, has broken the Master’s tournament record for 36-holes. Spieth yesterday shot six-under-par for a two-day score of 130, and 14 under par. The record was previously set in 1976.

Spieth is now taking a crack at the tournament record of 18-under-par 270 set by Tiger Woods in 1997. Going into today, Woods is tied for 13^th place.

>The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox battled it out for seven hours and 19 minutes in a game that started last night and ended at 2:13 this morning. Boston won it 6-5. So much for the new rules to speed up the game.

Business Page: General Electric, the corporate conglomerate that grew out of the light bulb, announced it is selling off its finance division, GE Capital, in a retreat from the money-lending business. Making money with money has become increasingly different since the big finance meltdown of 2008. The profits of GE Capital have been shrinking.

Some business executives say the finance business has become more difficult because of federal regulations requiring companies to hold more capital reserves, leaving less money in play, and dampening profits.

Coming Up!: A study by the Hollywood Reporter has named Good Morning America as the number one morning news show … well, not in news but in self-promotion and cross promotion of ABC and Disney entertainment. Over five mornings in March, GMA spent 36 minutes and 30 seconds pimping for such things as “The Bachelor” and “Cinderella.” Massacre in Africa, but first, an exclusive interview with The Bachelor!

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