Cuba's National Assembly unanimously approved 176 economic reforms allowing private banks, foreign investment in state firms, and expanded private

Cuba's powerful ex-president Raul Castro on Wednesday threw his weight behind liberal reforms aimed at reviving the collapsing economy in the face of a crippling US blockade.

Cuba's Communist Party has signed off on a package of free market reforms. One member called the changes a response to "economic war," while the party said they were not a…