Andrea Rodriguez | Associated Press

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.

Non-governmental organizations monitoring Cuban prisons are demanding an investigation into the death of a man imprisoned since 2021 after being arrested for participating in historic protests against shortages and blackouts.

The epicenter of the quake was located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Bartolome Maso, Cuba, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Cuba is reeling after a powerful Category 3 hurricane ripped across the island and fierce winds knocked out the country’s power grid. The magnitude of the impact from Hurricane Rafael remained unclear through the early hours of Thursday.

Hurricane Rafael made landfall in Cuba as a powerful Category 3 hurricane shortly after powerful winds knocked out the country’s power grid.

Cuba’s biggest blackout in at least two years left millions without power and prompted the government to announce emergency measures to slash demand.

Small groups of protesters have taken to the streets in the eastern Cuba city of Santiago decryng power outages lasting up to eight hours across the Caribbean nation.

Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello, a veteran Cuban dissident and leading proponent of human rights who was imprisoned twice but never left the island, will be awarded the 2024 International Women of Courage Award.

The housing situation in Cuba is critical, with buildings partially or completely collapsing under the weight of storms, lack of maintenance and years of neglect.