In our news wrap Thursday, officials say at least two people involved in a speedboat shooting in Cuba were U.S. citizens, a Columbia University student was detained by ICE agents in her campus apartment and later released and police in Buffalo, New York, are investigating the death of a nearly-blind refugee from Myanmar days after Border Patrol agents dropped him off alone miles from his home.
Amna Nawaz:
We start the day’s other headlines in Cuba.
A U.S. official tells the “News Hour” that at least two individuals involved in yesterday’s speedboat shooting were U.S. citizens and that the owner of the vessel claims it had been stolen by an employee. Four people were killed, including one of the U.S. citizens.
The incident took place in the waters off the island’s north coast. Cuba’s government said earlier the 10 people aboard the Florida registered boat were Cuban nationals who aimed to carry out a terrorist attack.
On social media, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel vowed — quote — “Cuba will defend itself against any terrorist or mercenary aggression that seeks to undermine its sovereignty,” while, on the streets of Havana today, locals expressed their support for yesterday’s shooting.
Roberto Henry Figueredo, Havana Resident (through interpreter):
What they’re doing is testing our strength to see how far they can go if no one stands up to them. But the fire we gave them was good. If they come, we will shoot at them. If they shoot at us, we will eat bullets. We will open fire if there are problems.
Amna Nawaz:
From the U.S. side, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last night the U.S. government was in no way involved and that it is investigating the incident.
In New York City, a Columbia University student was detained by ICE agents in her campus apartment today, then released hours later. Ellie Aghayeva is a senior from Azerbaijan and a self-described content creator. This morning, she wrote on Instagram — quote — “DHS illegally arrested me. Please help.”
Protester:
Immigrants are welcome here~!
Protesters:
Immigrants are welcome here!
Amna Nawaz:
Within hours, dozens had gathered at the campus gates in protest. Federal officials described Aghayeva as an illegal alien whose student visa was terminated in 2016.
Her release came after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he discussed the arrest with President Trump during an unrelated meeting at the White House.
Police in Buffalo, New York, are investigating the death of a nearly blind refugee from Myanmar days after Border Patrol agents dropped him off alone at a coffee shop miles from his home; 56-year-old Nurul Amin Shah Alam, who spoke little English, had been jailed for a year on charges later resolved with a misdemeanor plea deal.
Last week, he was released to Border Patrol agents, who found he was — quote — “not amenable to removal.” According to us Customs and Border Protection — quote — “Agents offered him a courtesy ride” and — quote — “He showed no signs of distress, mobility issues, or disabilities.”
A medical examiner ruled out exposure and homicide, saying his death was health-related. But Buffalo’s Mayor Sean Ryan said the decision to leave him was unprofessional and inhumane.
In Geneva today, Ukrainian and U.S. officials gathered for talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine now in its fifth year. Just hours earlier…
(Sirens blaring)
Amna Nawaz:
… Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia launched a barrage of more than 400 drones and dozens of missiles across several regions. Officials say the bombardment targeted critical infrastructure and injured dozens of people, including children.
In the southeast city of Zaporizhzhia, an elderly couple say their apartment was destroyed when their building was hit. They say there’s little hope that the war will end soon.
Troshko Mykola, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Resident (through interpreter):
We don’t believe it. It won’t end and Ukraine will be blown to pieces. We want them to reach an agreement, but they don’t. And now we don’t know where to go or what to do. Everything is destroyed.
Amna Nawaz:
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today the next round of trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. will likely take place in Abu Dhabi in early March.
In Afghanistan, the sound of explosions rang out tonight in the capital city of Kabul, though there’s been no word yet on casualties. It comes just hours after Afghanistan launched an attack on Pakistan, which it claims was retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes on border areas earlier this week.
Afghanistan claims to have seized more than a dozen Pakistani army posts in the latest escalation between the two neighbors. Pakistan called Afghanistan’s attack unprovoked and dismissed claims that any army posts had been captured.
The FBI has reportedly fired more agents who worked on President Trump’s classified documents case. The Associated Press and others report that at least 10 employees were terminated for helping investigate Trump’s hoarding of documents at his Mar-a-Lago home after he left office in 2021.
It’s just the latest purge under FBI Director Kash Patel, who’s fired dozens of employees for working on Trump-related cases or for being seen as disloyal. The FBI Agents Association condemned the firings, saying they — quote — “weaken the bureau by stripping away critical expertise and destabilizing the work force.”
Warner Bros. Discovery said today that paramount’s revised bid for the company is superior to its existing deal with Netflix. Paramount raised its price for Warner Bros. to $31 a share this week as a best and final offer. In response, Netflix said it would not raise its offer for Warner Bros., saying the deal is — quote — “no longer financially attractive.” Ahead of that news, shares of Warner Bros. ended slightly lower.
Elsewhere on Wall Street, stocks struggled after a blockbuster earnings report from A.I. giant Nvidia failed to win over investors. The Dow Jones industrial average managed to end a few points higher, but mostly flat. The Nasdaq lost nearly 275 points on the day. The S&P 500 also closed in negative territory.
