Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly, has condemned the intensification of Washington's blockade against the island and called for an end to aggressive actions against countries of the region.

A standing-room only crowd at Howard University broke into prolonged and enthusiastic applause Wednesday evening when Miguel Fraga, second secretary at the Cuban embassy in Washington, delivered an impassioned defense of Cuba's sovereignty and its right to self-determination.

Medical collaborators from the Cuban brigades currently serving on Caribbean islands are maintaining daily communication with the country and are prepared to confront the aftermath of powerful Hurricane Irma.

With Irma, Jose and Katia, the Atlantic-Caribbean zone has three simultaneous hurricanes today, which has not happened since 2010, according to international meteorological entities.

U.S. President Donald Trump is slated to nominate Republican Oklahoma Congressmember Jim Bridenstine to head NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  Bridenstine has no science credentials and has repeatedly denied the human impact on climate change.