DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ For U.S. Cuban claims holders, spy Manuel Rocha's plea deal raises fresh questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Michelle Caruso-Cabrera | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Raul Rubiera | Miami Herald | Getty ImagesWhen Carolyn Lamb saw news of Cuban spy Victor Manuel Rocha's arrest on the news last December, she recognized him immediately. The lower the value of the claims, the less the Cuban government would have to pay in any future negotiated settlement. Ashby assumed Rocha's paranoia about eavesdropping was in response to the George W. Bush administration's opposition to the Cuba claims buying business. But according to the Justice Department, by that point Rocha was already in his third decade as a Cuban agent. File photo of former US ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, talking to the press on the 11th of July 2001.

Persons: V, Manuel Rocha, Steel Hector, Davis, Raul Rubiera, Carolyn Lamb, Victor Manuel Rocha's, Rocha, Lamb, Lamb's, Castro, Justin Solomon, CNBC Castro didn't nationalize, of Rocha, Fidel Castro's, It's, Jason Poblete, Poblete, John Kavulich, Sears Roebuck, Timothy Ashby, Ashby couldn't, Ashby, George W, Bush, Little, Covert, Gonzalo Espinoza Organizations: Miami Herald, Steel, Cuban, US State Department, National Security, Cuban Telephone Company, " Beverage Company, CNBC, Pepsi, General Electric, Century Fox, Cuba Trade, Economic Council, Justice Department, Citizen, State Department, National Security Council, DOJ, Cubans, FBI, AFP, Getty Locations: America, Omaha, Bolivia, Cuba, Havana, United States, Cuban, Rocha, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Argentina, Miami, Chile

☆ Cuba Charges 30 Over Massive Chicken Heist
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba has charged 30 people for stealing 133 tonnes of chicken and selling them on the street in a rare major heist at a time of food shortages in the communist-run nation. The chicken had been earmarked for Cuba`s "rationbook" system introduced after the late Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution to provide subsidized staples for all. Rigoberto Mustelier, director of government food distributor COPMAR, said the quantity stolen was the equivalent of a month`s ration of chicken for a medium-sized province at current distribution rates. The amount of chicken available via the rationbook has fallen sharply in recent years as economic crisis has brought scarcities of food, fuel and medicines. Authorities did not say when the chicken theft took place, but noted it likely occurred between midnight and 2 a.m., when they detected fluctuations in the temperature of the cold storage facility.

Persons: Fidel Castro's, Rigoberto Mustelier, Dave Sherwood, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: TV, Authorities Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Havana, Cuban

☆ Henry Kissinger, the towering American diplomat, dies at age 100
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Marty Steinberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +25 min

President Gerald Ford (left) and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger talk together in the Oval Office, February 19, 1975. In his 2001 book "The Trial of Henry Kissinger," social critic Christopher Hitchens called him a war criminal. North Vietnam's Le Duc Tho (left) and US National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger at the Paris peace talks, January 1973. Chairman Zedong of the People's Republic of China meets U. S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Nov. 12, 1973. On a helicopter during the period of shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East, Henry Kissinger talks to his wife, Nancy.

Persons: Henry Kissinger, —, Richard Nixon's, Kissinger, Richard Nixon, Richard Corkery, Duc Tho, Gerald Ford, Benjamin E, Ford, Warren Burger, Kissinger's, Paula, Gene, Forte, Seymour M, Hersh bashed Kissinger, Walter Isaacson's, Christopher Hitchens, Greg Grandin, Niall Ferguson, Kant, Clausewitz, Bismarck, Barry Gewen, Gewen, Elizabeth Holmes, Nixon, George Shultz, Holmes, Heinz Alfred Kissinger, Louis, Walter, Hitler, Kissingers, Fritz Kraemer, William Yandell Elliott, Spengler, Toynbee, Metternich, Castlereagh, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Mike Wallace, Wallace, Kennedy, Johnson, Republican Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney, Hubert Humphrey, Democratic Sen, George McGovern, McGovern, Nguyen Van Thieu, Reg Lancaster, Tho, Thieu, Mao, Gen, Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, Nicolae Ceausescu, Zhou Enlai, Leonid Brezhnev, Andrei Gromyko, Dirck, Sen, Henry Jackson, Charles Vanik, Brezhnev, Spiro Agnew, Archibald Cox, Cox, Robert Bork, White, Alexander Haig, Anwar Sadat, David Hume Kennerly, Marxist Salvador Allende Gossens, Fidel Castro's, Martin Bernetti, Allende, Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, Pinochet, Ann Fleischer, Elizabeth, David, Nancy Maginnes, Rockefeller, Jill St, John, Candice Bergen, Shirley MacLaine, Liv Ullman, Diane Sawyer, , Napoleon, Nancy, David Rubinger, Maginnes, Moshe Dayan, Robert Dallek, Nixon's, Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Paula Kissinger, Brooks Kraft Organizations: Gould, Kissinger Associates, National Security, Waldorf, Astoria, Richard Corkery | New York Daily, Forte, Soviets, State, Chief, New York, Theranos Inc, Economic, Nuremberg, George Washington High School, City College of New, Army, 84th Infantry Division, U.S ., Hesse . Harvard, Harvard, Confluence, Foreign, Eisenhower, Republican, Republican National Convention, Rockefeller and Michigan Gov, Democratic, District of Columbia, US National Security, Getty, Paris Peace, North, Nationalist, China, Bettmann, East Pakistan, of, U.S, Soviet Union ., Ballistic, Soviet, Washington, Egyptian Third Army, Department, West, Marxist, Museum, AFP, CIA, Israeli, Southern California Quaker, White, Partners, Power Locations: New York City, U.S, Connecticut, Richard Corkery | New, United States, Vietnam, Saigon, Viet, Soviet Union, Communist China, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Chile, Pakistan, Theranos, Ukraine, Russia, Davos, Switzerland, Fuerth, Germany, Bavarian, American, Nazi Germany, London, New York, City College of New York, Ahlem, Hanover, German, Krefeld, Hesse, Cambodia, Massachusetts, Haiphong, Paris, North, China, Washington, Taiwan, People's Republic of China, Beijing, Moscow, India, East, Bangladesh, Shanghai, USSR, Soviet, Kremlin, Dirck Halstead, Ohio, Saudi, Japan, Sinai, Alexandria, Cairo, Suez, Americas, Santiago, Cuba, Chilean, America, Europe, Virginia, Southern California

☆ Cuban family business produces flour from coconut and yucca amid shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Alien Fernandez | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Entrepreneur Gabriel Perez, 38, poses for a photo as he checks slices of banana put to dry in his farmland in the rural outskirts of Havana, Cuba, November 22, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini Acquire Licensing RightsHAVANA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - On a small farm outside Havana, a Cuban family-run business produces gluten-free flour from banana, coconut and yucca, preferring locally-sourced ingredients to pricey imports as Cubans seek innovative solutions to a growing food crisis. His business, Bacoretto, dries and mills yucca, rice, banana and coconut into organic flour preferred by gluten-intolerant consumers, who have only recently been able to find food products tailored to their dietary needs in Cuba. Byproducts of their processes are used to make coconut oil, coconut-fiber rope, vinegar and fermented products and sweets, Perez told Reuters. It produces 6 to 8 kilograms (13.2 to 17.6 pounds) of flour a week, Perez said, in small batches, in addition to byproducts, with a staff of eight people.

Persons: Gabriel Perez, Alexandre Meneghini, Perez, Fidel Castro's, Alien Fernandez, Nelson Acosta, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Rights HAVANA, Caribbean

☆ EU human rights envoy in Cuba to discuss aftermath of 2021 protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

European Union's Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, speaks during a meeting with Cuban authorities in Havana, Cuba, November 24, 2023. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, on a visit to Cuba earlier this year, announced Gilmore`s visit but told reporters the EU would not "impose" demands on the island`s government. Rights groups say around 1,000 Cubans were jailed for their political beliefs following the demonstrations and several subsequent protests. "No one is convicted for their political opinions," Cuba`s foreign ministry said prior to Gilmore`s visit on social media. "We call on the Cuban government to respect the human rights of everyone, including the rights of political prisoners and those unjustly detained."

Persons: Eamon Gilmore, Alexandre Meneghini, Gilmore, Josep Borrell, Fidel Castro's, Luis Barrios Díaz, la Torre, Barrios Diaz `, Dave Sherwood, Alien Fernandez Organizations: Human Rights, Cuban, REUTERS, Rights, EU, European Union, U.S, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, Rights HAVANA, United States, EU, Cuban

☆ Thousands in Honduras march in anti-government protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Gustavo Palencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Thousands of people took to the streets of the Honduran capital on Saturday in anti-government protests against leftist President Xiomara Castro, angered by attempts to engineer what they say is an unconstitutional power grab. In a demonstration sponsored by opposition parties, protesters in the Central American country accused the Castro government of seeking to transform Honduras by hand picking public officials. Roughly 10,000 people gathered in Tegucigalpa, the capital, according to a Reuters eyewitness, in a march that ended without incident. The opposition protest was sparked after the ruling party elected a new interim chief prosecutor on November 1, without holding a congressional vote. Castro, who was sworn in as Honduras' first woman president in January 2022 and describes herself as a democratic socialist, has sought to strengthen diplomatic relations with the governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Persons: Xiomara Castro, Castro, David Chávez, Gustavo Palencia, Lucinda Elliott, Diane Craft Organizations: Central, National Party, Honduran, Castro's Liberty, Refoundation Party, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduran, Central American, Honduras, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Tegucigalpa

☆ Cuban clock maker keeps on ticking despite economic woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Cuban watchmaker Ernesto Barrios saw an opportunity to make up for lost time two years ago after authorities lifted a ban on private companies that had been in place since shortly after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. "We don't have to import any of our materials," he said. "Years ago there was a great diversity of Russian watches in Cuba and today that watch market is empty," he said. His "Made in Cuba" watches, he said, are on display in various hotels in Havana, as well as in some stores in the Cuban capital. Reporting by Nelson Acosta, editing by Dave Sherwood and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ernesto Barrios, Fidel Castro's, Luz, Barrios, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuban, Cuba, wristwatches, Havana, Soviet Union

☆ Family Buries Sailor Lost in Acapulco Storm After Painful Wait
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Nearly 50 people are known to have died due to Otis, which struck just after midnight in the early hours of Oct. 25. The late sailor's sister, Maria Jesus Castro, told Reuters that Castro had sent a video to her just after midnight, saying the sea was "getting very ugly." Looking down at his coffin, she added, "Look at where the ship is, there are no signs of the ship, and look, my love, look where he is." She related how authorities told her that Castro's body had been admitted to a morgue in Acapulco on Oct. 27, seven days before the family was contacted. (Reporting by Jose Luis Gonzalez in Acapulco; Writing by Sarah Kinosian; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Persons: Jose Luis Gonzalez ACAPULCO, Jose Ramiro Castro, Hurricane Otis, Castro, Otis, Maria Jesus Castro, Jose Luis Gonzalez, Sarah Kinosian, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Reuters Locations: Mexico, Hurricane, Acapulco, Acapulco Bay

☆ Honduras Recalls Ambassador to Israel for Consultations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras' government is recalling its ambassador to Israel for consultations due to the humanitarian situation affecting Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the country's top diplomat announced on social media on Friday. "Amid the grave humanitarian situation the Palestinian civilian population suffers in the Gaza Strip, the government of President Xiomara Castro has decided to immediately call Mr. Roberto Martinez, Ambassador of the Republic of Honduras in Israel, to consultations in Tegucigalpa," Foreign Minister Enrique Reina said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The decision from leftist President Castro's government follows similar moves from likeminded peers in the region earlier in the week. Chile's Gabriel Boric and Colombia's Gustavo Petro also recalled their countries' ambassadors to Israel for consultations over events surrounding the conflict in Gaza, while Bolivia moved to sever diplomatic ties to Israel. (Reporting by Valentine Hilaire and Gustavo Palencia; Editing by Kylie Madry)

Persons: Xiomara Castro, Roberto Martinez, Enrique Reina, Castro's, Chile's Gabriel Boric, Colombia's Gustavo Petro, Valentine Hilaire, Gustavo Palencia, Kylie Madry Organizations: Twitter Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Israel, Gaza, Republic of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Bolivia

Seager’s third two-run homer of the Series capped the second, Semien’s drive punctuated the third and Jonah Heim added an eighth-inning shot. Forty-two of 49 previous teams to take 3-1 leads have gone on to win the World Series. After leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to the 2020 title, he could join Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson as the only two-time World Series MVPs. After a World Series opened with three errorless games for the first time, Arizona’s defense cracked at an inopportune time. TWO-OUT THUNDEROnly the Boston Red Sox scored more runs with two outs in a World Series game, getting 11 in the 2007 opener against Colorado.

Persons: — Marcus Semien's, Corey Seager, Jonah Heim, Nathan Eovaldi, Zac Gallen, Miguel Castro's, Christian Walker —, Seager, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Reggie Jackson, Travis Jankowski, Adolis García, “ We’re, ” Seager, ” Andrew Heaney, José Leclerc, Lourdes Gurriel Jr, Chris Stratton, Tommy Pham, Gabriel Moreno, Torey Lovullo, Josh Jung, Joe Mantiply, Castro, Jung, Kyle Nelson's, Nathaniel Lowe, Luis Frías, Heim, Walker, Jankowski, Ryne Nelson, Ketel Marte, Max Scherzer, Ezequiel Durán, LHP Brock Burke, Burke, “, Evan Carter, Gallen, ___ Organizations: PHOENIX, Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Diamondbacks, Senators, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland, Texas, AL, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona, Chase Field, Semien, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Locations: Texas, Arizona, Semien, Friday’s

☆ Mexico will help, provide oil to Cuba, Lopez Obrador says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Chile's President Gabriel Boric (not pictured) deliver a statement to the media at La Moneda government palace in Santiago, Chile, September 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMEXICO CITY, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Mexico will help Cuba, including providing it with oil, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday. Mexico began regularly shipping crude oil to Cuba at the end of the first quarter of this year. "However we can help the people of Cuba, we're going to do it," said Lopez Obrador in a regular press conference. He said Mexico did not have to request permission from any foreign government to aid Cuba, which he said suffered from an "inhumane and unjust" embargo.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Gabriel Boric, Ivan Alvarado, we're, Lopez Obrador, Fidel Castro's, Ana Isabel Martinez, Anthony Esposito Organizations: La, REUTERS, MEXICO CITY, Mexico, Thomson Locations: Santiago , Chile, MEXICO, Mexico, Cuba, Mexican, United States

If the Twins force Game 5, it would be in Houston on Friday. The right-hander, who threw six hitless innings in World Series Game 4 last year to beat Philadelphia, lowered his career postseason ERA to 1.91 over 37 2/3 innings. With five walks and one hit batter, Javier provided the Twins plenty of opportunities to catch up. “It was a difficult day to hit, so them jumping out early was very, very important,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. He has allowed 13 earned runs, nine walks and three homers in 14 innings over three career starts against the Astros.

Persons: — José Abreu, Sonny Gray, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Cristian Javier, Abreu, “, ” Gray, Javier, Dusty Baker, Max Kepler, Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, Kepler, Lewis, Correa, Willi Castro's, Jeremy Peña, Ryan Jeffers, Rocco Baldelli, Jose Altuve, Gray, Alex Kirilloff’s, Kyle Tucker, Johan Santana, Joe Mauer, Pablo López, López, Alvarez, Juan Gonzalez, Bob Robertson, Baker, ” Abreu, José Urquidy, Joe Ryan, ___ Organizations: Houston, Astros, Minnesota Twins, AL, Twins, Philadelphia, ” Twins, Toronto, Cincinnati, NEXT Astros Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, Houston, Venezuelan

☆ Ronaldo sparks fightback as Al-Nassr given Asian Champions League scare
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 2 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo was on target as Al-Nassr survived a scare in the Asian Champions League on Monday with the Saudi Pro League side coming from a goal down to hand Tajikistan's Istiklol a 3-1 defeat in Riyadh. The Asian Football Confederation said the game, which was due to be played in Isfahan's Naghsh-e Jahan Stadium, had been "cancelled due to unanticipated and unforeseen circumstances". In Group B, Uzbekistan's Nasaf climbed into pole position after claiming their second win in a row when Azizbek Amonov struck twice in a 3-1 win over Al Sadd of Qatar. Ruzikul Berdiev's team hold a two point lead over Sharjah from the United Arab Emirates, who beat Jordan's Al-Faisaly thanks to a 20th minute goal from Moussa Marega, an Asian Champions League winner with Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in 2021. Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Senin Sebai, Istiklol, Ronaldo, Anderson Talisca, Luis Castro's, Al Duhail, Omid Alishah, Qasem Soleimani, Ali Jasim, Sanzhar Tursunov's, Siavash Haghnazari, Nasaf, Azizbek Amonov, Al, Ruzikul, Jordan's, Moussa Marega, Saudi Arabia's Al, Michael Church, Ken Ferris Organizations: Asian Champions League, Saudi Pro League, Brazilian, Iran's Persepolis, Iran's Sepahan, Saudi, Asian Football Confederation, Air Force Club, AGMK, Air Force, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: Riyadh, Dushanbe, Saudi, Qatar, Isfahan's, Uzbekistan, Al, Ittihad, Al Sadd, Sharjah, Hilal

☆ The winner of the $2 billion Powerball jackpot in February has spent the last few months buying up California real estate
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The winner of a record-breaking $2 billion Powerball jackpot has gone on a real-estate-buying spree. Edwin Castro, 31, secured the winning $2.04 billion ticket at a gas station in Altadena, near Los Angeles, in November last year. This meant that Castro ended up with about $628.5 million in cash after federal taxes, according to USA Today. DailyMail.com reported that Castro has also been spotted driving a vintage Porsche, likely another of his post-jackpot purchases. AdvertisementAdvertisementAfter his property investments, which total about $76 million, Castro still retains a substantial portion of his winnings.

Persons: Edwin Castro, Fortune, Castro, DailyMail.com Organizations: Bel Air, Service, USA, New York, Porsche, Guardian Locations: Hollywood Hills, Altadena, Wall, Silicon, Los Angeles, Bel, Hollywood

☆ Portugal's Otavio moves to Saudi club Al-Nassr
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Portugal midfielder Otavio has joined Al-Nassr from Portuguese side Porto, the Saudi Pro League club said on Tuesday. Huge Welcome to The Best Player in Liga Portugal," Al-Nassr posted on messaging platform X, previously known as Twitter. Otavio joins an Al-Nassr squad that also includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles and Seko Fofana. Luis Castro's team have made a poor start to the Pro League season, losing both their opening matches. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has announced a Sports Clubs Investment and Privatisation Project involving league champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal.

Persons: Otavio, Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles, Fofana, Luis Castro's, PIF, Shady Amir, Toby Davis Organizations: Saudi Pro League, Porto, Portuguese, Liga Portugal, Pro League, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Clubs Investment, Al, Shady, Thomson Locations: Portugal, Porto, Ittihad, Al, Ahli, Hilal

"We understand there is a crisis, and the need for banking, but this is our money," Hernandez said. Her business had already adopted electronic banking but she often needs quick access to cash to pay for emergencies on job sites, she added. Rodriguez said he and many other entrepreneurs began using electronic banking long before the new measures were announced to comply with tax laws that have evolved with the growing private sector. But for many smaller businesses and mom-and-pop stores in Cuba, the formalities of doing business, like paying taxes, remain novel concepts, he said. Cuban officials have said the new banking measures are necessary for transparency, to assure transactions are recorded and taxes are paid.

Persons: Alberto Quinones, Yulieta Hernandez, Hernandez, Fidel Castro, Leonardo Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Ronald Venero, Nelson Acosta, Anett Rios, Carlos Carrillo, Dave Sherwood, Marc Frank, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Cuban, Havana, Santiago de Cuba

☆ Cuba condemns EU Parliament resolution calling for sanctions against president
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA, July 12 (Reuters) - Cuba's National Assembly said on Wednesday it "strongly condemns" a resolution by the European Parliament, which criticized the country's human rights record and called for EU sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other top officials. "The European Parliament lacks the moral, political and legal authority to judge Cuba," Cuba's parliament said in a statement. The European Parliament resolution proposes "autocratic regimes should not participate in such summits" and strongly condemns Cuba's human rights record, saying this could jeopardize a 2016 cooperation deal between Cuba and the EU, its top trade partner. The European Parliament resolution said it "deeply deplores" this comment. In May, Borrell said the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, will visit the island in November to evaluate the consequences of the 2021 protests.

Persons: Miguel Diaz, Fidel Castro's, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Eamon Gilmore, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: National, Cuban, EU, of, Caribbean, Communist, Cuba's National Assembly, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, America, Caribbean, Brussels, Caribbean States, United States

☆ Cuba calls US nuclear submarine in Guantanamo Bay 'provocative escalation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HAVANA, July 11 (Reuters) - Cuban authorities on Tuesday said the U.S. recently had a nuclear-powered submarine at its military base at Guantanamo Bay and called the action a "provocative escalation" of tensions weeks after Washington alleged that there was a Chinese spy base on the island. Washington did not confirm that there was a submarine at the naval base. It said Cuba was looking to distract from the two-year anniversary of largest street protests seen in Cuba since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Critics have said the Guantanamo Bay prison has been used for arbitrary detention and torture of people suspected of terrorism. In June, Havana and Beijing rejected reports citing U.S. officials alleging that China was using Cuba as a spy base.

Persons: Washington, Fidel Castro's, William LeoGrande, Critics, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Matt Spetalnick, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Washington, U.S . State Department, State Department, House, U.S . Department of Defense, Washington's American University, Reuters, United, Thomson Locations: HAVANA, U.S, Guantanamo, Chinese, Cuba, Cuban, China, Washington, Havana, Beijing, United States, Caribbean

☆ Cuba says US responsible for 2021 protests, biggest in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Nelson Acosta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] People clash with plain clothes police during protests against and in support of the government, amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba July 11, 2021. "The United States has a direct responsibility for the disturbances of July 11 and 12, 2021," the Communist Party-run Granma newspaper said in a front-page editorial ahead of the anniversary of the protests. The U.S. State Department said it was not behind the 2021 protests and reiterated calls for the immediate release of some 700 Cuban political prisoners. "More than anything, this editorial reflects the state of relations between the United States and Cuba," said Arturo Lopez-Levy, a foreign relations expert at the Autonomous University of Madrid. Two years after the protests, some Cuban emigres have called for events to commemorate the date.

Persons: Alexandre Meneghini, Fidel Castro's, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Arturo Lopez, Levy, Lopez, Nelson Acosta, Sarah Morland, Matt Spetalnick, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Communist Party, White, Cuba, U.S . State Department, Cuban, European Union, Autonomous University of Madrid, Thomson Locations: Havana, Cuba, HAVANA, United States, Washington, U.S, Cuban

☆ UN experts arrive in Honduras to explore anti-corruption mission installation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, July 9 (Reuters) - A UN mission of experts arrived in Honduras to examine the establishment of an international anti-corruption mission in the Central American nation, which is plagued by widespread corruption that exacerbates poverty and immigration, Honduran authorities announced Sunday. Leftist President Xiomara Castro pledged during her campaign to install an anti-corruption commission known as the International Commission Against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (CICIH). The length of the mission's stay in Honduras to meet with various sectors was not specified. The CICIH would be the second anti-corruption commission to operate in Honduras. The mission left Honduras in 2020 after the OAS failed to reach an agreement with the Hernandez government to extend its stay.

Persons: Xiomara Castro, Eduardo Enrique Reina, Obama, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Hernandez, Gustavo Palencia, Anna, Catherine Brigida, Leslie Adler Organizations: UN, Central, Honduran, International, Corruption, United Nations, Honduran Foreign, Organization of American States, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Central American, Honduran, United States

☆ Honduras hands prison control to military police, expands emergency powers after deadly riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TEGUCIGALPA, June 21 (Reuters) - Honduras will return control of most of the country's penal system to the military police for the next year, the Central American country's presidential office said late on Wednesday, a day after a prison riot claimed nearly 50 lives. Honduras will also turn islands hundreds of kilometers off the coast into a penal colony for "highly dangerous" gang leaders, the presidental office said. Castro had promised "drastic measures" to address the deaths at a women's prison, which she attributed to an organized attack by gang members conducted with guards' knowledge. Tuesday's riot likely began in retaliation to recent government measures cracking down on corruption and gang control from within prison walls, authorities said. It also returned control of 21 of the country's 26 prisons to the military police.

Persons: Castro, Mara Salvatrucha, Castro's, Gustavo Palencia, Kylie Madry, Lincoln Organizations: Central American, Police, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, United States, El Salvador

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, June 21 (Reuters) - The death toll from a riot at a women's prison in Honduras rose to 46, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday, as anxious relatives demanded information about the fate of incarcerated family members. Relatives of inmates gathered at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social, the 900-person women's penitentiary around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the capital city Tegucigalpa, where gang violence erupted a day earlier. Identifying victims is a challenge, as many of which were "charred or reduced" to ash, according to Yuri Mora, spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office. The riot had been planned by gang members with guards' knowledge, Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Twitter on Tuesday, saying she would take "drastic measures" to address the deaths. [1/5]Security forces operate outside the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) women prison following a deadly riot in Tamara, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, June 20, 2023.

Persons: Yuri Mora, Xiomara Castro, Angel Garcia, Fredy Rodriguez, Garcia, Mara Salvatrucha, Miguel Martinez, Julissa Villanueva, El, Gustavo Palencia, Brendan O'Boyle, Valentine Hillaire, Daina Beth Solomon, Alistair Bell Organizations: Centro Femenino de, Twitter, Security, REUTERS, Central America, Thomson Locations: TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Tamara, Los Angeles, Central, El Salvador

☆ MLB roundup: Cards' Willson Contreras stars in return to Chicago
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/5] May 8, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras (40) celebrates team's win against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Colorado starter Kyle Freeland (3-4) gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings, with four strikeouts and three walks. Cease went five-plus innings, allowing seven runs on nine hits while walking one and striking out six. Miami's Braxton Garrett (1-2) was charged with four runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. San Francisco starter Anthony DeSclafani (3-2) got through seven innings, allowing five runs on 10 hits.

☆ Cuban lawmakers vote for president amid crisis, no change expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA, April 19 (Reuters) - Cuban lawmakers convened on Wednesday to appoint a new president for the next five years, at a time of social and economic crisis near unprecendented since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution. Lawmakers and the newly elected leaders will face daunting challenges during their coming five-year term. Candidates for president and legislative leaders were proposed in secret by lawmakers prior to Wednesday's session, then vetted by a National Candidacy Commission. The 470 lawmakers slated to vote were elected on March 26 in a popular ballot with no opposition candidates. The newly elected president is scheduled to address the nation later in the day.

☆ Honduras again extends emergency powers to fight violent gangs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TEGUCIGALPA, April 7 (Reuters) - Honduras' government on Friday extended until late May emergency powers that suspend some constitutional rights, part of an anti-gang push implemented by leftist President Xiomara Castro in the Central American country's largest cities. Earlier this week, Castro's government deployed soldiers across the nation to fight violent criminal groups. This is the third extension - this time by another 45 days - of the so-called state of exception that is now set to expire on May 21, the government said in a statement. "This legal measure has made it possible for security authorities to capture more than a hundred members of criminal organizations," the statement added. Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Search resuls for: "Castro's"

25 mentions found