US delegation meets with Mexico's government on migrant influx, as officials clear border tent camp
Mexican immigration officials are moving to clear a migrant encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande river, as U.S. officials met with Mexicoโs president to press for measures to limit a surge of migrants reaching the U.S. southwestern border.
Russia is defeated in its bid to regain a seat on the UN's top human rights body
Russia has been defeated in its bid to regain a seat in the United Nations premiere human rights body by a significant majority in an election in the General Assembly, which voted last year to suspend Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine.
Netherlands tops Cuba 4-2; Panama beats Taiwan 12-5 at WBC
The 20-team World Baseball Classic got underway after a six-year absence with Panama defeating Taiwan 12-5 for its first win in tournament history and the Netherlands beating Cuba 4-2 in the opening Group A game as Didi Gregorius drove in the tying run and scored the go-ahead run.
What dictates a hurricaneโs strength?
There are many ways to categorize a hurricane. The stormโs central pressure is one way. The height of its storm surge is another. How much rain it drops is another. And, of course, the strength of its wind is another. But what causes a hurricane to strengthen or weaken? The answer is simple enough, but multifaceted.
Biden scrambles to avoid Americas Summit flop in Los Angeles
When leaders gather this week in Los Angeles at the Summit of the Americas, the focus is likely to veer from policy issues like migration, climate change and inflation and instead shift to something Hollywood thrives on: the drama of the red carpet.
Tropical storm warning for parts of Florida, Cuba, Bahamas
Much of the Florida peninsula, along with parts of Cuba and the Bahamas, are under a tropical storm warning as a system that battered Mexico moves through the Gulf of Mexico, killing at least two in Cuba and bringing threats of heavy rain and wind for the weekend.
Plea discussions launched in stalled 9/11 case at Guantanamo
Prosecutors have initiated discussions on a potential plea agreement to resolve the long-stalled case of five men held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center who have been charged with planning and providing assistance for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Growing mystery of suspected energy attacks draws US concern
The Biden administration faces increasing pressure to respond to a sharply growing number of reported injuries suffered by diplomats, intelligence officers and military personnel that some suspect are caused by devices that emit waves of energy that disrupt brain function.
Myanmar coup crisis grows after years of US neglect
Anti-coup protesters display pictures of deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 2, 2021. The Obama administration reveled in the restoration of civilian rule in the longtime U.S. pariah as a top foreign policy achievement and a potential model for engaging with other adversaries, such as Iran and Cuba. But today, Myanmar is once again an international outcast, facing a new wave of U.S. sanctions. Still, the Obama administration continued to have faith in her. Despite Kerryโs two trips to Myanmar, the administration became rapidly consumed with the Iran nuclear deal and normalization of ties with Cuba.
Sun, sand, shots: Caribbean seeks vaccines to revive economy
The Caribbean is hunting for visitors and vaccines to jump-start the stalled economy in one of the worlds most tourism-dependent regions (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)SAN JUAN โ The Caribbean is hunting for visitors and vaccines to jump-start the stalled economy in one of the worldโs most tourism-dependent regions. Clear waters and warm sand attracted a record 31.5 million tourists to the Caribbean in 2019, but visits plummeted by an estimated 60% to 80% as the pandemic hit last year. โMany countries prefer hurricanes compared to what has happened with the pandemic,โ said Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, a former Bahamian tourism minister who also led the Caribbean Tourism Organization. Cuba โ the largest Caribbean nation and the only one working on its own vaccines โ choked off arrivals after seeing infections surge. Neil Walters, acting secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
Cubans stranded for 33 days now in US immigration detention
They waved flags to catch the attention of a Coast Guard helicopter crew that flew over the island while on a routine mission Monday. A Coast Guard helicopter earlier this week spotted the two men and one woman and hoisted them in baskets from a rocky cliff in Anguilla Cay, a Bahamian islet close to Cuba. The Associated Press requested interviews with the survivors, but Coast Guard and immigration officials have not released their identities and did not grant access for interviews. The U.S. Coast Guard did not respond to requests clarifying what considerations were made before the group was flown into the United States. However, the rocky, uninhabited island is routinely monitored by the Coast Guard for strandings of migrants hoping to reach U.S. soil.
US pauses plan to give virus vaccine to Guantanamo prisoners
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON โ The U.S. is backing off for now on a plan to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to the 40 prisoners held at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The plan drew some criticism after The New York Times reported that the vaccination of prisoners would start in the coming days. At the time, U.S. Southern Command said it expected to have enough vaccine for all of the approximately 1,500 personnel assigned to the detention center. AdThere have been no reported cases of coronavirus among the detention center prisoners. The U.S. opened the detention center in January 2002 to hold detainees suspected of links to al-Qaida and the Taliban.
US military moves to try Bali bomb suspects at Guantanamo
In this photo reviewed by U.S. military officials, the Office of Military Commissions building used for Periodic Review Board hearings is seen, Thursday, April 18, 2019, in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. Gen. Lloyd Austin, Biden's nominee to be secretary of defense, this week reaffirmed the intention to close Guantanamo to the Senate committee considering his nomination. The case was rejected by the Pentagon legal official known as a convening authority for reasons that aren't publicly known. Obama reduced the prisoner population but his effort to close Guantanamo was blocked by Congress, which prohibited transferring anyone from the base to the U.S. for any reason. โI believe it is time for the detention facility at Guantanamo to close its doors," he said.
Eta Becomes An Extratropical Low
Location 85 miles SE of Wilmington North Carolina Wind 45 mph Heading ENE at 21 mph Pressure 29.65 Coordinates 76.8W, 33.3NDiscussionAt 400 AM EST (0900 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Eta was located near latitude 33.3 North, longitude 76.8 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the east-northeast near 21 mph (33 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue with an increase in forward speed through Saturday. On the forecast track, Eta is expected to gradually pull away from the southeast U.S. Coast today. Eta could intensify a little as an non-tropical cyclone during the next day or so before it becomes absorbed by a larger non-tropical cyclone on Saturday or Saturday night. Land HazardsSURF: Swells generated by Eta will affect portions of the southeastern United States coast today.
Trump hits Cuba with new terrorism sanctions in waning days
WASHINGTON โ The Trump administration on Monday re-designated Cuba as a โstate sponsor of terrorism,โ hitting the country with new sanctions that could hamstring President-elect Joe Biden's promise to renew relations with the communist-governed island. Since Trump took office, after a campaign that attacked Obama's moves to normalize relations with Cuba, ties have been increasingly strained. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez condemned the U.S. action. The latest sanctions put Cuba alongside North Korea, Syria and Iran as the only foreign nations deemed state sponsors of terrorism. Obamaโs removal of Cuba from the โstate sponsors of terrorismโ list had been a major target of Trump, Pompeo and other Cuba hawks in the current administration.
Mick Jagger gets some shelter, buying Florida mansion
FILE - In this March 25, 2016 file photo, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger performs in Havana, Cuba. The Rolling Stones are releasing a new version of their 1973 album Goats Head Soup with three unheard tracks. (AP Photo/Enric Marti, File)LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. โ Mick Jagger, Florida Man? The Rolling Stones front man recently purchased a mansion south of Tampa as a Christmas present for his girlfriend, ballet dancer Melanie Hamrick. โIt was very cool hearing Mick Jaggerโs voice over the phone; that was neat,โ Ciaccio told the Herald-Tribune.
Federal judge blocks new criminal disqualifiers to asylum
A judge on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020 has blocked a Trump administration rule that would have put up new roadblocks for asylum-seekers convicted of a variety of crimes. The federal judge in San Francisco says current federal law already includes plenty of disqualifying crimes such as drug trafficking, money laundering and counterfeiting. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio, File)LOS ANGELES โ A federal judge on Thursday blocked a Trump administration rule about to take effect that would have put up new roadblocks for asylum-seekers convicted of a variety of crimes. The rule would have also denied asylum to people convicted of crimes that an adjudicator โknows or has reason to believeโ was committed to supporting a criminal street gang. Asylum is for people fleeing persecution for their race, religion, nationality, political beliefs or membership in a social group.
Final weeks of historic hurricane season bring new storms
Tropical Storm Eta is parked off the western coast of Cuba, dumping rain. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Theta โ which formed overnight and broke a record as the 29th named Atlantic storm of the season โ is chugging east toward Europe on the cusp of hurricane status. The system now has a 70% chance of becoming the 30th named storm. Never before have three named storms been twirling at the same time this late in the year, Klotzbach said. The overall message is that everyone in the area should pay attention to Eta, Brennan said.
Already flooded, South Florida braces for Eta's wrath
A couple walks along the beach during a downpour, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, on Miami Beach, Florida's famed South Beach. A strengthening Tropical Storm Eta cut across Cuba on Sunday, and forecasters say it's likely to be a hurricane before hitting the Florida Keys Sunday night or Monday. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Tropical Storm Eta floods already drenched Florida cities
A strengthening Tropical Storm Eta cut across Cuba on Sunday, and forecasters say it's likely to be a hurricane before hitting the Florida Keys Sunday night or Monday. Eta made landfall in the Florida Keys and posed a serious threat across South Florida, which was already drenched from more than 14 inches (35 centimeters) of rain last month. โNever seen this, never, not this deep,โ said Anthony Lyas, who has lived in his now-waterlogged Fort Lauderdale neighborhood since 1996. Eta was not done yet with Cuba, just 90 miles (140 kilometers) south of Florida, where the storm continued to swell rivers and flood coastal zones. ___Associated Press writers Cody Jackson in Fort Lauderdale, Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, and Haleluya Hadero in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Eta strikes Florida Keys; expected to become hurricane
A strengthening Tropical Storm Eta cut across Cuba on Sunday, and forecasters say it's likely to be a hurricane before hitting the Florida Keys Sunday night or Monday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami declared hurricane and storm surge warnings for the Keys from Ocean Reef to the Dry Tortugas, including Florida Bay. Several shelters also opened in Miami and the Florida Keys for residents in mobile homes and low lying areas. On Sunday night, authorities in Lauderhill, Florida, responded to a report of a car that had driven into a canal. South Florida started emptying ports and a small number of shelters opened in Miami and the Florida Keys for residents in mobile homes and low-lying areas.
Eta Becomes An Extratropical Low
Location 85 miles SE of Wilmington North Carolina Wind 45 mph Heading ENE at 21 mph Pressure 29.65 Coordinates 76.8W, 33.3NDiscussionAt 400 AM EST (0900 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Eta was located near latitude 33.3 North, longitude 76.8 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the east-northeast near 21 mph (33 km/h) and this motion is expected to continue with an increase in forward speed through Saturday. On the forecast track, Eta is expected to gradually pull away from the southeast U.S. Coast today. Eta could intensify a little as an non-tropical cyclone during the next day or so before it becomes absorbed by a larger non-tropical cyclone on Saturday or Saturday night. Tropics Models at 2:34 Friday Night, November 13thLand HazardsSURF: Swells generated by Eta will affect portions of the southeastern United States coast today.
The Latest: Trump meets troops involved in al-Baghdadi raid
โ Trump paints an apocalyptic portrait of life under a Biden presidencyโ Trump Cabinet members fan out to states, blending politics and policy. ___HEREโS WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:8:45 p.m.President Donald Trump has met with rap star Lil Wayne at his resort in Doral, Florida. The Trump campaign and the company didnโt immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. The Minnesota Department of Health has linked 28 coronavirus cases to other recent Trump campaign events in the state. Mrs. Trump warmed up the large crowd outside Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for President Donald Trump.
Tropical Storm Warning issued for parts of Virginia with Zeta expected to make landfall Wednesday evening
ROANOKE, Va. โ 5 p.m. Wednesday updateA Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for many along and south of U.S. 460. Hurricane Zeta has continued to gain strength this afternoon and itโs now a category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 mph. 5 a.m. Tuesday updateZeta made its first landfall along the Yucatan Peninsula and is now emerging into the Gulf of Mexico as a strong tropical storm. Hurricane and tropical storm warnings have been posted in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and western Cuba ahead of the stormโs arrival. On the forecast track, Zeta will move into the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall late Wednesday along the Gulf Coast.
2020 Produces Yet Another Tropical Depression
The depression is moving toward the north-northwest near 2 mph (4 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue through early Sunday. Tropics Satellite at 4:02 Saturday Afternoon, October 24thWatches and WarningsCHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY:The government of Cuba has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for the province of Pinar del Rio. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for, * Pinar del Rio CubaA Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours. Interests in the Yucatan Peninsula should monitor the progress of the depression. Land HazardsKey messages for the depression can be found in the Tropical Cyclone Discussion under AWIPS header MIATCDAT3 and WMO header WTNT43 KNHC.
China and Russia win seats on UN rights council, Saudis lose
TANZANIA โ China, Russia and Cuba won seats on the U.N.โs premiere human rights body Tuesday despite opposition from activist groups over their abysmal human rights records, but another target, Saudi Arabia, lost. Russia and Cuba were running unopposed, but China and Saudi Arabia were in a five-way race in the only contested race for seats on the Human Rights Council. The Geneva-based rights organization published a 30-page joint report with the Human Rights Foundation and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights evaluating candidates for council seats. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council can spotlight abuses and has special monitors watching certain countries and issues. He said the U.S. has taken its own actions to punish โhuman rights abusers in Xinjiang, Myanmar, Iran, and elsewhere.โIsraelโs U.N.