Cuba

The vote on Wednesday was 130-17, with 25 abstentions. The vote last year was 165-7, with 12 abstentions. Western countries like Germany, Italy and Latvia are among those that abstained for the first time in 34 years.

As of May, Cubans were the largest group of deportees to third countries, most of whom had been taken to Mexico

Cuban authorities report that men captured in February after attempting to enter Cuba by force from the United States have confessed and cooperated with investigators.

The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated six migrants to Cuba on Tuesday following two separate operations in the Florida Straits involving a rustic vessel and the rescue of a disabled fishing boat.

“Donald Trump is the deporter in chief and we have witnessed him deporting over 13,000 Cubans since he has been in office, his first term and his second term,” said Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon.

In Havana, Laura Mendoza runs a project called “Medicine Is Not for Sale,” providing free medications to Cubans facing severe shortages.

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.

The Trump administration entrusts Cuba's private sector with imports to keep Cubans from starving — but bows to political pressure to discredit Cuban capitalism because conservative exiles call it a front for the communist regime. Private business accounts for as much as 80% of the island's retail activity, but is still labeled a "myth" by exile leaders.

U.S. authorities believe the vessel was employing tactics typical of the "dark fleet"—ships that use deceptive practices to hide unlawful maritime activities.

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.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla slammed U.S. foreign policy, accusing the Trump administration of carrying out a "ruthless siege" and imposing an illegal "energy blockade" designed to suffocate the island's economy.