Andrea Rodriguez | Associated Press

The Cuban government says it will release 2,010 prisoners in a move that comes while the Trump administration puts extreme pressure on the island's government with a suffocating oil blockade. The announcement Thursday said the pardons were a "humanitarian gesture" in connection with Holy Week and didn't mention mounting pressures with the U.S. The government said the prisoners affected are foreigners and Cubans but didn't name them.

Cuba's deepening economic crisis is pushing struggling families into hunger and forcing them to rely on donations and the black market. One Havana mother says she sometimes has no lunch for herself and her daughters, as fuel shortages, daily blackouts and cuts to rationed food impact families across the island.

The first ship of an international flotilla bringing humanitarian aid to Cuba has arrived in Havana loaded with solar panels, bicycles, food and medicine as the island's economic and energy crises deepen. Some 30 people were aboard the first of three ships expected to arrive in Cuba as the island grapples with severe blackouts, a crumbling power grid and a U.S. energy blockade.

Cuba is grappling with a fast-growing wave of synthetic drug use that is hitting young people hard. The Associated Press visited Havana's psychiatric hospital and saw men struggling to stay clean, vowing for the sake of their loved ones to rid their bodies of toxins in the next 24 hours.

The Associated Press was given access to Cuban military officials and shown the items displayed at the headquarters of the former Cuban Institute of Radio and Television ahead of a program that showed them to the public for the first time.

Drivers in Cuba are facing the prospects of waiting several months to refuel their cars, as fuel shortages caused by a U.S. oil siege intensify. To avoid chaos outside gas stations, Cuba's government last week made it obligatory for drivers to use an app known as Ticket to get refueling appointments.

On Thursday, the ships carry large loads of food, hygiene supplies, and powdered milk. Mexico says one ship brings about 536 tons of items like rice, beans, canned fish, and oil. Mexico says the second ship carries over 277 tons of powdered milk. President Claudia Sheinbaum says Mexico ships aid while talks continue on oil supplies.

Cuban aviation officials have warned airlines of a fuel shortage for refueling on the island. This is part of energy rationing as the Trump administration cuts Cuba off from its fuel sources. A commercial pilot confirmed the notice was sent Sunday.

Fishermen floating on “corchos,” makeshift rafts have become common on the waters off the coast of Havana. It is an innovative way to fish in a country where it’s complicated — if not impossible — to access a regular fishing boat.

Cuba’s legendary cigars, hand-rolled from the finest tobacco leaves, have long captivated connoisseurs, and now a growing number of enthusiasts recognize the vital importance of humidors, those meticulously crafted boxes that help preserve their quality and longevity.

Cuba has released prominent dissident José Daniel Ferrer from jail, as part of a Cuban government decision to gradually free more than 500 prisoners as part of talks with the Vatican.

After a nationwide blackout left millions without electricity for several hours in Cuba, the power grid has been restored, authorities said, adding that scheduled power outages will now resume.