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Cuba Confirms 1 Man Dead During Antigovernment Protests

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A police vehicle patrols through Old Havana, Cuba, Monday, July 12, 2021, the day after protests against food shortages and high prices amid the coronavirus crisis. (AP Photo/Eliana Aponte)

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban authorities confirmed Tuesday that one person has died during demonstrations that have shaken the island in recent days by protesting over food shortages, high prices and other grievances against the government.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that Diubis Laurencio Tejeda, 36, died Monday during a clash between protesters and police in the Arroyo Naranjo municipality on the outskirts of Havana. It said an unspecified number of people were arrested and there were some people injured, including some officers.

The statement accused demonstrators of vandalizing houses, setting fires and damaging power lines. It also alleged they attacked police and civilians with knives, stones and other objects.

Demonstrations that erupted Sunday have seen thousands of Cubans in the streets voicing grievances against shortages of goods, rising prices and power cuts, and some protesters have called for a change of government.

Havana still had a heavy police presence Tuesday, with officers particularly guarding key points such as the Malecon coastal promenade and the Capitol. Internet and cellphone data service continued to be disrupted.

There were no reports of new protests, which the government has sought to blame on Cuban Americans using social media to instigate unrest in Cuba.

The demonstrations in several cities and towns were some of the biggest displays of antigovernment sentiment seen in years in tightly controlled Cuba, which is facing a surge of coronavirus cases as it struggles with its worst economic crisis in decades as a consequence of U.S. sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration.

The rare outpouring of dissent led former President Raul Castro to join with other top leaders Monday to discuss the situation.

“On July 11, there were riots, there were disorders on a very limited scale, opportunistically taking advantage of the difficult conditions in which we Cubans are living today,” Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Tuesday, adding that government experts had found evidence of outsiders using sophisticated equipment to widely broadcast alarmist and inciting messages over social media.

But, Rodriguez said, “On July 11, there was no social explosion in Cuba. There was not because of the will of our people and because of the support of our people for the revolution and its government.”

Cuba’s Roman Catholic bishops issued a call to avoid violence.

“We understand that the government has responsibilities and has tried to take measures to alleviate the aforementioned difficulties, but we also understand that the people have the right to express their needs, desires and hopes,” they said in a statement.

The demonstrations were extremely unusual on an island where little dissent against the government is tolerated. The last major public demonstration of discontent, over economic hardship, took place nearly 30 years ago in 1994. Last year, there were small demonstrations by artists and other groups, but nothing as big or widespread as what erupted this past weekend.

The U.S. has, so far at least, not detected any surge of migrants from Cuba, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters in Washington on Tuesday.

He also cautioned Cubans that any migrants intercepted at sea are returned to their homelands or sent to other countries under long-standing agreements intended to discourage people from trying to make the dangerous crossing.

“The humanitarian message to the people of Cuba is do not take to the seas,” Mayorkas said. “People die when they try to migrate in the maritime channel irregularly.”

The issue of Cuban migration in opposition to the government resonates with Mayorkas, whose family fled the Cuban revolution in the 1960s.

“I understood what it meant for my father to lose everything that he had built for his young family,” he said. “We stand with the people of Cuba.”

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Dr. Rudolph Moise Aids Jamaica in Hurricane Melissa Relief as Jack Brewer Foundation Launches U.S. Evacuation Mission

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MIAMI, Fla. (FNN)Dr. Rudolph Moise, a distinguished Air Force Colonel, former Haiti Ambassador-at-Large, and global health care leader, joined the Jack Brewer Foundation on a humanitarian mission to Jamaica to support communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

Emergency Relief Mission

Moise joined a team of 20 volunteers on a chartered humanitarian flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica, as part of the Hurricane Melissa response effort. The mission, sponsored by the Jack Brewer Foundation, delivered more than 15,000 pounds of critical aid, including tents, sleeping bags, batteries, pallets of meat, and food supplies intended for the regions hit hardest by the storm.

According to a posting on The Jack Brewer Foundation’s website, the organization is also coordinating an emergency evacuation and rescue mission for U.S. citizens stranded in Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Working with government partners and humanitarian agencies, the foundation plans to facilitate safe passage for registered passengers on a special evacuation flight scheduled to depart Wednesday from Montego Bay International Airport (MBJ) to Miami International Airport (MIA).
Priority is being given to families, the elderly, and individuals with medical needs, and all travelers must register individually to ensure proper documentation and seat assignments.

Medical Assistance and Community Support

During the relief mission, Moise provided medical assistance to several individuals in need. He noted the resilience and optimism of Jamaican residents despite widespread damage and loss.

“We came to the Caribbean nation of Jamaica to provide support to its beloved people during this critical time,” Moise said, emphasizing the importance of global cooperation in disaster response. “The Jamaican people are incredibly resilient. This is an all-hands-on-deck effort to confront this crisis, and despite the tremendous losses many have endured, most still managed to greet us with a smile.”

Video clips and photographs from the trip document Moise’s work alongside volunteers as they distributed supplies and assisted local families.

A History of Disaster Response

This relief effort is not Moise’s first humanitarian deployment. In January 2010, he traveled to Haiti with a Disaster Rescue Team just two days after the catastrophic earthquake struck the country. His team saved 11 lives during that mission.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

News@FloridaNationalNews.com

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USA U 17 Mens National Team Tops Group At 2025 FIFAf U 17 World Cup Advances To Knockout Stage Against Morocco

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DOHA, Qatar (FNN SPORTS) – The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team continued its impressive run at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup, clinching the top spot in Group I with a 1-0 win over Czechia at Aspire Zone Pitch 4. Substitute Mathis Albert’s 78th-minute goal sealed the victory, giving the USA a perfect 3-0-0 record in group play — the program’s best start in 34 years.

Ranked third overall among group winners, the USA will face Morocco—who finished third in Group B—in the Round of 32 on November 14 or 15. FIFA is expected to confirm the official match date and time by Wednesday.

Albert’s Late Goal Seals Historic Win

With the group title within reach, head coach Gonzalo Segares rotated seven players from the starting lineup that defeated Tajikistan 2-1. Despite early pressure from Czechia, including a 14th-minute shot that hit the post, the Americans steadily grew into the match.

In the second half, substitute Mathis Albert brought new energy down the left wing, linking well with playmaker Máximo Carrizo. Their chemistry paid off in the 78th minute when Albert received a through ball from Carrizo, slipped behind the Czech defense, and calmly slotted home the decisive goal into the lower right corner.

The U.S. defense held firm despite a late red card to Mateo Tsakiris in stoppage time, preserving its second clean sheet of the tournament.

Milestones and Match Highlights

  • Historic Achievement: The victory marks the first time in 20 years—and only the fourth time overall—that the U.S. has won its group at the FIFA U-17 World Cup (previously in 1991, 1999, and 2005).

  • Perfect Record: It’s just the second time ever the U.S. U-17s have won all three group-stage matches, matching the 1991 squad’s feat.

  • Key Performances: Goalkeeper Aidan Stokes anchored a strong back line, recording two shutouts in three matches. Carrizo tallied his first assist of the tournament, while Albert netted his first U-17 World Cup goal.

  • Discipline: Tsakiris received a red card in stoppage time after a VAR review and will miss the Round of 32 match.

FINAL SCORE:

USA 1 – Czechia 0
Goal: Mathis Albert (78′)
Assist: Máximo Carrizo

The U.S. U-17s now turn their focus to the knockout stage, where they’ll look to continue their unbeaten streak and push deeper into the tournament.

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Zelenskyy: Russian Forces Push Into Pokrovsk Amid Major Donetsk Assault; Ukraine Strikes Back at Russian Oil Sites

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KYIV, Ukraine (FNN) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Friday that Russia has deployed approximately 170,000 troops in the eastern Donetsk region, escalating its efforts to seize the strategic city of Pokrovsk amid one of the war’s fiercest battles.

“The situation in Pokrovsk is difficult,” Zelenskyy said during a media briefing in Kyiv, dismissing Russian claims that the heavily damaged city is completely surrounded after more than a year of relentless combat. He acknowledged that some Russian units have infiltrated parts of the city, but emphasized that Ukrainian defenders are actively eliminating enemy forces.

“There are Russians in Pokrovsk,” Zelenskyy stated. “They are being destroyed, gradually destroyed, because we need to preserve our personnel.”

Zelenskyy’s remarks underscore Ukraine’s defensive struggle as its troops face manpower shortages against Russia’s larger, well-equipped army. In past battles, Ukrainian forces have strategically withdrawn from certain areas to conserve resources and minimize casualties.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to assert that Ukraine cannot withstand Russia’s military dominance. Western officials, particularly from the United States, have been urging Moscow to consider peace negotiations — appeals Putin has resisted while touting Russia’s expanding nuclear capabilities and defending his country’s “legitimate war aims.”

Ukraine Targets Russian Oil Infrastructure in Counterstrikes

As Russian forces intensify their offensive in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv has expanded its counteroffensive strategy by striking deep inside Russian territory. Ukrainian officials say the goal is to disrupt Russian military logistics and bring the consequences of the war closer to Russian civilians.

According to Vasyl Maliuk, head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), Ukraine has launched over 160 successful long-range attacks on Russian oil extraction and refining facilities since the start of the year.

“In September and October alone, Ukraine conducted 20 strikes on Russian oil facilities,” Maliuk told reporters, highlighting that these attacks aim to weaken Russia’s war economy and limit its capacity to fuel ongoing military operations.

The escalating operations from both sides mark a critical phase in the nearly four-year-long war, as global powers monitor whether the conflict could broaden — or finally push both nations toward negotiations.

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