Andrea Rodriguez | Associated Press

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel accuses the United States of hypocrisy for promoting private enterprise in Cuba while imposing new restrictions on Cuban businesses.

Cuba is facing severe challenges, with blackouts and shortages affecting daily life. Yet classical ballet remains a cherished cultural institution. The National Ballet School in the capital of Havana continues to train young dancers, blending rigorous dance instruction with academics.

Cuban state television aired footage Saturday night showing Castro, 95, in his olive-green military uniform. His grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, accompanied him in the role of bodyguard.

Fidel Castro would have turned 100 on Thursday and his influence still looms over Cuba. Posters and slogans bearing his image are common and the International Book Fair is dedicated to his memory. Supporters praise his legacy of dignity and policies in culture, education and health. However, Cuba faces a deepening crisis due to U.S. sanctions and economic challenges.

Cuba's power blackouts have been stretching sometimes for days, so Cubans are planning their lives around the lights turning back on. Those small gasps of relief may be for just a few minutes or hours — and at any time of the day or night.

The decision will go into effect on Friday and represents a significant blow to Cuba's tourism industry, which has been struggling under new U.S. sanctions.

Cuba is suffering another nationwide blackout, leaving the entire country without power. It's the third incident in two weeks, highlighting the island's vulnerable grid under a U.S. oil embargo.

The plan aims to open the struggling island's economy by expanding private enterprise and attracting foreign investment. The document, not yet public, will be submitted to Cuba’s National Assembly.

Cuba’s powerful Communist Party, or PCC, called an unscheduled session Wednesday, a rare occurrence that comes days after President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced an economic reform package aimed at opening up the struggling island's economy.

While he is believed to wield significant influence over the government, he maintains a low profile even as a general of Cuba’s army.

Elderly residents in Old Havana gather for meals at the Church of the Holy Spirit, a crucial support amid Cuba's economic crisis. Carmen Casado, an 84-year-old retiree, attends regularly, relying on these meals as her pension is equivalent to just $4. The elderly, often former government employees, struggle with small pensions and reduced subsidies.

Hundreds of Cuban women have gathered in Havana to decry a U.S. energy embargo and other measures imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump that are strangling the Caribbean island. Tuesday's rally was organized by the Federation of Cuban Women. It is a massive organization with close ties to the government and the Communist Party.