Cuba embargo

U.S. authorities announced Wednesday they had intercepted more than 600,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel headed for a state importer in Cuba in violation of a de facto Trump administration blockade on the island.

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.

Cuba has reopened most of its schools despite a shortage of transportation, uniforms and teachers as the island's crises deepen. More than 10,000 schools are expected to open their doors on Tuesday. They will welcome an estimated 1.4 million children and more than 135,000 teachers. The island's education minister acknowledged ongoing challenges and called the reopening of schools a "heroic act."

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.

Cuba's top diplomat to the United States says recent sanctions targeting the island's leadership and the indictment of former President Raúl Castro are a "pretext" for the Trump administration to persuade the American people to support a U.S. military intervention in Cuba.

Farming equipment is falling silent across Cuba, with no fuel to power it. As a result, poverty is deepening and hunger is increasing across Cuba, a country of nearly 10 million people.

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 U.S. and Cuban governments have been at odds since the conclusion of the Cuban Revolution 67 years ago. From my perspective as an expert on Havana-Washington ties, however, this moment seems different.

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.

If you’re planning on a winter break to Cuba, get ready for an adventure rather than a vacation. If you’re wondering if United States President Donald Trump’s oil embargo will shatter Cuba’s Communist government, dig in for a drawn-out slog. And if you’re Cuban, brace for a nightmare.

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.

A vote Wednesday softened Washington's isolation on a longstanding issue in the Caribbean while new friction grows around the U.S. military buildup there. The vote was 165-7, with 12 abstentions. Last year, it was 187-2, with "no" votes from the U.S. and Israel and one abstention. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez told AP that the U.S. mounted a campaign to influence the vote.