Judge sets date for 9/11 defendants to enter pleas, deepening battle over court's independence

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military judge at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has scheduled hearings in early January for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants to enter guilty pleas in exchange for life sentences despite Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's effort to scuttle the...

Rafael dissolves into a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico after hitting Cuba as a hurricane

MIAMI (AP) — Rafael has weakened into a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico after barreling across Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane last week. Rafael weakened into a tropical storm Saturday and dissipated into a remnant low on Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center...

Cuban authorities make arrests after protests broke out over blackouts

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban authorities said Sunday they arrested a number of people for disorderly behavior after protests over blackouts that stretched on for days broke out in recent weeks. Cuba's Attorney General's office said it started criminal proceedings against people in Cuba's...

6.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Cuba after hurricanes and blackouts

HAVANA (AP) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 shook eastern Cuba on Sunday, after weeks of hurricanes and blackouts that have left many on the island reeling. The epicenter of the quake was located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Bartolome Maso, Cuba,...

Rafael weakens to tropical storm over Gulf of Mexico after barreling through Cuba as a hurricane

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Rafael weakened Saturday to a tropical storm and was expected to dissolve over the Gulf of Mexico in the coming days after barreling across Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane. Rafael was located 290 miles (470 km) north-northwest of Progreso, Mexico on Saturday. It...

US will appeal judge's ruling that 9/11 defendants can plead guilty and avoid the death penalty

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Defense Department will appeal a military judge's ruling that plea agreements struck by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, and two of his co-defendants are valid, a defense official said Saturday. The ruling this past...

Rafael weakens into a tropical storm as it swirls over the Gulf of Mexico after lashing Cuba

HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Rafael weakened into a tropical storm Friday as it swirled through the Gulf of Mexico where it was expected to break apart after plowing through Cuba, knocking out the country's power grid and collapsing hundreds of houses. On Friday night, the tropical...

PHOTO COLLECTION: Cuba Hurricane Rafael

Cuba left reeling after Category 3 hurricane ravages island and knocks out power grid

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba was left reeling Thursday after a fierce Category 3 hurricane ripped across the island, destroying hundreds of homes, knocking out the country’s power grid and damaging other infrastructure. No fatalities were immediately reported in Cuba, and Hurricane Rafael...

Plea deals revived for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others

WASHINGTON (AP) — A military judge has ruled that plea agreements struck by alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants are valid, voiding an order by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to throw out the deals, a government official said. The official spoke...