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☆ CIA reveals model used to plan strike against Al-Qaeda leader Zawahiri
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

The CIA on Saturday unveiled the model of Ayman al-Zawahiri’s safe house in Kabul used to plan the U.S. drone strike that killed the Al-Qaeda leader last month. The scale model of Zawahiri’s house was shown to reporters as part of a tour of a newly refurbished museum at the agency's headquarters. “This was the model that was used to brief President Biden on the Zawahiri mission,” said Janelle Neises, deputy director of the CIA museum. Zawahiri was struck by a Hellfire missile as he stood on the balcony of the house, U.S. officials say. “He carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens, American service members, American diplomats and American interests,” Biden said.

☆ Cubans head to polls to vote on government-sponsored code to legalize gay marriage, adoption
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

referring to a family code referendum to take place on September 25, is displayed in Havana, Cuba, September 19, 2022. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"My expectation is that most of the population will vote 'yes'," Diaz-Canel said. The code, which has undergone 25 drafts, nearly 80,000 townhall-style meetings and 300,000 suggestions from the public, is expected to draw millions of Cubans to the polls. There are no independent, outside observers of Cuban elections, however, citizens may observe the count at their precincts immediately following the vote. "The vote will be close ... aspects of this code have divided the opinions of the public, even families," she said.

☆ Tropical storm Ian to become hurricane on Sunday, NHC says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSept 24 (Reuters) - Tropical storm Ian is expected to become a hurricane on Sunday, reaching major hurricane strength by late on Monday before it reaches western Cuba, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The center of Ian is forecast to pass well southwest of Jamaica on Sunday and pass near or west of the Cayman Islands early on Monday, the agency said in its latest advisory. Ian will then move near or over western Cuba on Monday night and early on Tuesday, emerging over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, it added. The storm is located about 395 miles (635 km) southeast of Grand Cayman packing maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (80 kph), NHC saidRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tropical Storm Ian to hit Cuba and become a hurricane
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSept 25 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Ian was on Sunday barreling toward western Cuba, where it is expected to soak the Caribbean island with heavy rainfall and trigger storm surges as it turns into a hurricane on Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecast to begin rapidly strengthening later Sunday, storm Ian was about 570 miles (917 km) southeast of the western tip of Cuba, with sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (80 km per hour), the NHC said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds are expected in portions of western Cuba beginning late Monday," the NHC said. Storm Ian is also forecast to produce heavy rainfall, flash flooding and possible mudslides in areas of higher terrain, especially over Jamaica and Cuba. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Drazen Jorgic in Mexico City; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Florida Prepares for Possible Hurricane: What to Know About Tropical Storm Ian
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Ginger Adams Otis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A storm system moving across the Caribbean Sea is expected to become a hurricane this weekend, threatening the Cayman Islands, Cuba and southern Florida as it makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico, hurricane forecasters said. The National Hurricane Center Friday urged residents in Cuba and Florida to prepare for a possible major hurricane early next week, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an emergency order for 24 counties in the storm’s potential path.

☆ Maps: Tracking Hurricane Ian
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( Eleanor Lutz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Tropical Storm Ian strengthened into a hurricane early Monday and is expected to surge through the Caribbean Sea toward Cuba, potentially reaching Florida’s Gulf Coast by the end of the week. Read our coverage here. Category 5 4 3 2 1 Tropical storm Area of tropical-storm-force winds Forecast path Source: Observed and forecast storm positions from NOAA Times are Eastern. By The New York TimesIan is the ninth named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.

☆ Florida officials urge residents to prepare for coming storm Ian
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Officials in Florida urged residents of vulnerable coastal regions to prepare for the expected arrival of a potentially dangerous storm named Ian, but no evacuations have been ordered. The storm could begin hitting southern Florida late on Monday or Tuesday morning. It is first expected to hit Jamaica, Cuba and the Cayman Islands, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. Sarasota Mayor Erik Arroyo told CNN that the city had been in touch with Florida Power & Light, and urged residents to prepare for a storm. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Diane Bartz Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Francis Bruhm, Project Manager for general contractor G&R Kelly, places sandbags around the doors of the Nova Scotia Power building before the arrival of Hurricane Fiona in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada September 23, 2022. It was due to make landfall in eastern Nova Scotia Saturday morning, but rain and wind had already started Friday night. Canadian authorities sent emergency alerts in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, warning of severe flooding along shorelines and extremely dangerous waves. The storm could prove more ferocious than the benchmarks of Hurricane Juan in 2003 and Hurricane Dorian in 2019, Canadian Hurricane Centre meteorologist Bob Robichaud told a briefing. Trailing Fiona in the Caribbean is Tropical storm Ian, which is expected to become a hurricane on Sunday night.

Francis Bruhm, Project Manager for general contractor G&R Kelly, places sandbags around the doors of the Nova Scotia Power building before the arrival of Hurricane Fiona in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada September 23, 2022. REUTERS/Ingrid Bulmer/File PhotoHALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Powerful storm Fiona slammed into eastern Canada on Saturday with hurricane-force winds, nearly a week after devastating parts of the Caribbean. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the center of the storm, now called Post-Tropical Cyclone Fiona, was crossing eastern Nova Scotia, bringing high winds and heavy rains. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterExperts predicted high winds, storm surges and heavy rainfall from Fiona. Canadian authorities sent emergency alerts in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, warning of severe flooding along shorelines and extremely dangerous waves.

☆ Fiona bears down on northeast Canada as big, powerful storm
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A youth rides his bycicle at the seaside in Nagua, Dominican Republic, on September 19, 2022, as Hurricane Fiona passes through the country. Fiona, which started the day as Category 4 storm but weakened to Category 2 strength late Friday, was forecast to make landfall in Nova Scotia early Saturday. The Canadian Hurricane Centre issued a hurricane watch over extensive coastal expanses of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Fiona should reach the area as a "large and powerful post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds." It was centered about 140 miles (220 kilometers) southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, heading north at 46 mph (74 kph).

☆ Border chief says GOP governors are worsening crisis by 'lying' to migrants
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julia-Ainsley-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julia Ainsley | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas also criticized Republican governors for sending migrants to other cities in an interview with José Díaz-Balart on MSNBC. Migrants line up after having arrived by bus in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday. Magnus said that despite the releases and the busing of migrants to Northern cities, the Border Patrol is managing the influx. El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said the city’s shelters are full, which is why he, like Republican governors, has begun busing migrants out of the city. Unlike Republican governors, Leeser is notifying cities that will be receiving migrants from El Paso.

A group of partial hearing visitors touch a four-month-old jaguar cub named Cindy at the Cuba's national zoo in Havana, Cuba, September 21, 2022. Earlier this year, sign language interpreters began accompanying groups of deaf visitors aboard the bus and trails that take them across an enclosed plain designed to imitate the African savannah. "Previously, very few (deaf) people visited the zoo because they could only see the animals," said Yoandra Oliva López, an interpreter and educator with the zoo. Zoo officials said they were also working to begin similar tours specifically for deaf children. Cuba's National Zoo is a favorite attraction for Cubans, with 1,473 specimens of more than 120 species of animals.

☆ Russia's SWIFT alternative expanding quickly this year, central bank says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Alexander Marrow | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sweeping Western sanctions on many of Russia's top banks in the wake of Russia sending tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine have sorely limited lenders' access to the global financial system. Alla Bakina, director of the central bank's national payment system department, said 50 new entities had joined Russia's alternative system this year, taking the total number to 440, of which more than 100 are non-residents. The central bank does not disclose the list of countries whose institutions have joined the SPFS, Bakina said. Sanctions have increased the use of the SPFS and the issuance of Mir bank cards, Russia's alternative to Visa (V.N) and Mastercard (MA.N), companies that suspended operations in Russia and their cards that were issued in Russia stopped working abroad. Bakina said a third of all bank cards in Russia are now Mir cards.

☆ Navy bribery case fugitive 'Fat Leonard' tried to get to Russia, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In a photo released Sept. 21, 2022, Interpol Venezuela said it captured Malaysian fugitive Francis Leonard Glenn, known as Fat Leonard. Interpol Venezuela | AFP | Getty ImagesSince escaping two weeks ago, officials say the fugitive Malaysian defense contractor nicknamed "Fat Leonard" — who orchestrated one of the U.S. Navy's largest bribery scandals — zipped between countries to find a place where he could become virtually untouchable for American authorities. Francis was planning to travel to Russia, according to Interpol Venezuela Director General Carlos Garate Rondon, who disclosed the arrest in a statement posted Wednesday on Instagram. Among those he befriended was a Russian diplomat, Francis told podcaster Tom Wright, who created a nine-part series on the case. The official said Francis later told authorities his final destination was Russia.

☆ Explainer: When EU embargo comes, where will Russia sell its crude oil?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Russian Urals oil has always been a grade for Europe. It’s much easier for it to negotiate private deals than publicly commit to some price limitation dictated by the West," another trader involved in Russian oil trading told Reuters. Russia also supplies Europe with around 3.2 million tonnes of oil per month via the Druzhba pipeline. "Small players are definitely not enough for Russian oil to be absorbed. China is the last resort for the Russian oil or Moscow has to cut output eventually," a third trader involved in the Russian oil market said.

☆ U.S. Embassy in Cuba will fully process immigrant visas in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Wednesday that the U.S. Embassy in Cuba will begin processing full immigrant visas in early 2023, making it easier for Cubans to reunite with family members in the United States. The embassy in Havana had last processed full immigrant visas in 2017. The U.S. government will also stop requiring Cubans seeking visas in family preference categories to travel to Georgetown, Guyana, for their interviews. The added personnel are part of the commitment stemming from the resumption of the Cuban Family Reunification Parole program last month. The 2007 program enables U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to apply for their family members in Cuba to come to the U.S. sooner than conventionally allowed.

☆ Venezuela arrests 'Fat Leonard' contractor in U.S. Navy bribery case
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Edgar Su/File PhotoSept 22 (Reuters) - Venezuelan police have arrested a fugitive Malaysian businessman nicknamed 'Fat Leonard' who is at the centre of a major U.S. Navy bribery scandal, as he prepared to leave the country for Russia, Venezuelan Interpol said. Francis pleaded guilty to bribery in January 2015 and agreed to forfeit $35 million in ill-gotten gains. According to that plea agreement, Francis paid about $500,000 in bribes to Navy officials. He arrived in Venezuela from Mexico, with a stopover in Cuba, and was planning to continue to Russia, the Interpol statement said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Joan Faus, editing by Aislinn Laing and Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fugitive 'Fat Leonard' was captured at a Venezuela airport trying to flee to Russia after escaping house arrest
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Fugitive 'Fat Leonard,' who pleaded guilty to involvement in a US Navy bribery scandal, was caught in Venezuela. Interpol Venezuela said it captured Leonard Glenn Francis trying to flee the country for Russia. Leonard recently cut his GPS ankle bracelet and fled house arrest in San Diego, where he was awaiting sentencing. Francis, a former military contractor who is also known as "Fat Leonard," was captured at an airport while trying to flee the country, Interpol Venezuela said in a Wednesday statement shared to Instagram. —USMS San Diego (@USMSSanDiego) September 6, 2022The US Marshals Service confirmed Francis' capture in Venezuela to the Associated Press.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to approve a bill aimed at allowing news organizations to band together to negotiate with Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Google and Meta's (META.O) Facebook and win more revenue. The bill passed the committee by a vote of 15 to 7, according to a congressional aide. On Thursday Klobuchar won support for an amendment that specified that prices for use of content was the issue. "The goal of the bill is to allow local news organizations to get compensation when major titans, monopolies like Facebook and Google, access their content," she said at a committee session to vote on the bill. Also opposing the bill are two technology industry trade groups that Facebook and Google belong to: the Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice.

☆ United Airlines seeks to resume U.S. flights to Cuba
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Brendan McDermidWASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - United Airlines (UAL.O) said on Wednesday it is working to resume flights to Cuba later this year that it suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. United previously flew seven flights weekly to Havana from its Houston and Newark hubs. United said given the challenges it is concerned it cannot resume flights by an Oct. 31 USDOT deadline. That is on top of the typical six daily American Airlines flights and three JetBlue flights weekdays to Havana from the Florida airports. In July, American Airlines received permission to resume service to some smaller Cuban airports.

☆ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to deliver dramatic UN speech after Putin moves to mobilize troops
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pictured during his regular address to the nation, Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. UNITED NATIONS — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will deliver dramatic remarks to world leaders Wednesday, hours after Russia moved to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops for its months long assault on Ukraine. But on the second day of diplomatic choreography in the iconic green-and-gold draped United Nations General Assembly hall, Zelenskyy will be the only president to address world leaders from screens hanging above the vast room. The international forum voted last week to allow Zelenskyy to offer pre-taped remarks to the annual gathering of world leaders, making an exception to its requirement that all leaders speak in person. Belarus, Cuba, Eritrea, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia and Syria were the seven countries that voted against Zelenskyy's request.

Venezuela's oil ministry, PDVSA and Maroil did not reply to requests for comment. PETCOKE MOUNTAINSIn Jose, two heavy oil upgrading projects controlled by PDVSA, Petro San Felix and Petrocedeno, produce and store petroleum coke. SANCTION SCRAMBLEIndian firms this year have been big buyers of Venezuelan petcoke as the Asian nation looks for inexpensive fuel to power industries amid high coal prices. read moreShimsupa GmBH, a Germany-headquartered trading firm, has an exclusive arrangement with Maroil to sell Venezuelan petcoke in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the company said. Resellers of Venezuelan petcoke originally supplied by Maroil say the cargoes are free of penalties since, as opposed to PDVSA, Maroil has not been blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury Department.

☆ Migrants From Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua Drive Border Arrests
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—Migrants from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua are driving the continued record pace of illegal migration at the southern border, with more than three times as many migrants from those countries arrested so far this year as at the same point in 2021, government data show. Border Patrol agents made about 181,000 arrests of migrants crossing the southern border illegally in August, putting the total this year just shy of two million with a month still to go in the government’s 2022 fiscal year. Migrants who want to ask for asylum at the border must be arrested by a Border Patrol agent to start the process. Separately, Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol, took 22,473 people into custody at legal border crossings. Combined, CBP has recorded nearly 2.2 million encounters along the southwest border since October.

A Texas sheriff said Monday that his office has opened a criminal investigation into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ unprecedented move to send nearly 50 migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard last week. The group of mostly Venezuelan asylum-seekers were then taken to the posh Massachusetts island “for little more than a photo op or a video op, and they were unceremoniously stranded in Martha’s Vineyard,” Salazar said. Attorneys representing 30 of the 48 migrants sent to Martha’s Vineyard have asked the Massachusetts attorney general and the federal government to open criminal investigations. Doug Ducey, a Republican, also began transporting migrants to Washington, D.C.Desantis sent two planes carrying migrants to Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday.

☆ 'Failing communist regimes' in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua account for new wave of migration, US says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"Failing communist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba are driving a new wave of migration," a US official said. In total, just under 158,000 people had encounters with southwest border officials in August. "Failing communist regimes in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba are driving a new wave of migration across the Western Hemisphere, including the recent increase in encounters at the southwest US border," CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said in a statement. More than 55,000 people from the three, ostensibly socialist regimes were encountered at the southwest border in August, per CBP. The fact that nearly half of all migrants encountered were from Nicaragua and South America, he said, represented a "staggering change."

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