International

Mercenary recruitment network dismantled in Cuba

Photo: ADN Cuba

September 8 |

Cuban authorities dismantled a network involved in recruitment to support Russia’s participation in the special military operation being held in Ukraine.

According to the elements of the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation of the Ministry of Interior a total of 17 people were arrested for being related to this network of mercenary recruitment.

Among those detained, three subjects identified themselves as active participants in the recruitment efforts inside Cuba, while 14 confessed that they joined the cause voluntarily.

According to the investigation, the prospective mercenaries were offered a promise of residence in Russia and significant monetary compensation, the exact amount of which is unknown.

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It is worth noting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba issued a statement on the necessary neutralization and dismantling of the human trafficking network operating from Russia to incorporate Cuban citizens as mercenaries in the war.

In this context, Cuban authorities assured that they will investigate the origin of the recruitment of citizens as war mercenaries.

The Government of Cuba maintains its anti-mercenary stance, for which reason this type of action is punished to the full extent of the law.

“Cuba is not part of the war conflict in Ukraine. It is acting and will act energetically against anyone who, from the national territory, participates in any form of human trafficking for the purpose of recruitment or mercenarism for Cuban citizens to make use of weapons against any country,” the Cuban Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

For now, Cuban authorities are moving forward in the investigation to find the organization that is promoting these movements that are alien to the values of Cuban citizens.

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International

Florida judge sets 2027 trial in Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against BBC

A federal judge in Florida has scheduled February 2027 for the trial in the lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the BBC, in which he is seeking $10 billion in damages for defamation.

Trump accuses the British broadcaster of airing a misleading edit of a speech he delivered on January 6, 2021, which, he says, made it appear that he explicitly urged his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

The president filed the suit in December in federal court in Florida, alleging defamation and violations of a law governing business practices when the program was broadcast ahead of the 2024 election.

Trump is seeking $5 billion in damages for each of the two claims.

Lawyers for the BBC unsuccessfully asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump had not suffered a “legally recognizable harm,” since the investigative program Panorama, which included the edited footage, aired outside the United States.

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International

Head-of-state diplomacy key to guiding China–U.S. ties, Beijing says

Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–United States relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday during a regular press briefing, when asked about high-level exchanges between the two sides.

Lin added that in a recent phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump once again expressed his intention to visit China in April, while Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his invitation.

Both sides remain in communication regarding the matter, the spokesperson said.

Lin noted that the essence of China–U.S. economic and trade ties lies in mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

“Both parties should work together to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, injecting greater certainty and stability into China–U.S. economic and trade cooperation, as well as into the global economy,” he said.

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International

Trump administration to end special immigration operation in Minnesota

The administration of Donald Trump is bringing to a close its special operation targeting illegal immigration in the northern state of Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday, following weeks of unrest and the fatal shootings of two activists by federal agents.

Thousands of federal officers had been deployed to Minnesota in December to carry out large-scale raids against undocumented immigrants.

The operations triggered strong reactions from residents and advocacy groups, leading to daily confrontations and the deaths of two people who were shot by federal agents.

“I proposed, and President Trump agreed, that this special operation should end in Minnesota,” Homan said during a press conference in the state capital, Minneapolis.

“A significant drawdown began this week and will continue into next week,” he added.

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Homan indicated that similar enforcement efforts could be launched in other cities.

“Next week we will redeploy the agents currently here back to their home stations or to other parts of the country where they are needed. But we will continue to enforce immigration laws,” he said.