US continues to squeeze Cuban economy with new round of sanctions

The United States has announced a new series of economic sanctions targeting Cuba, its latest step in a campaign to squeeze the island’s already fragile economy.

China says US should stop 'threats' against Cuba after ex-leader charged

China has called on the US to stop using "coercion" and "threats" against its ally Cuba, after Washington indicted former leader Raúl Castro on murder charges.

End of an era: Raul Castro to step down as leader of Cuba's Communist party - France24

 Raul Castro said Friday he is resigning as head of Cuba’s Communist Party, ending an era of formal leadership by he and his brother Fidel Castro that began with the 1959 revolution.

Cuba confirms sole candidate to replace President Raul Castro

Cuban officials have confirmed that Miguel Diaz-Canel is the sole candidate to succeed the country's president Raul Castro.

Castro pide petróleo a Rusia por los problemas de suministro con Venezuela

El presidente de Cuba, Raúl Castro, se ha dirigido al líder ruso, Vladímir Putin, para pedir el suministro estable de petróleo y sus derivados a la isla ante los problemas que atraviesa Venezuela, tradicional socio de La Habana en este asunto, informaron fuentes del sector.

Colombia and FARC rebels ask UN to observe ceasefire

Colombia's government and FARC rebels say they have asked the United Nations to monitor the eventual end of their five-decade conflict and the disarmament of the armed group.

Cuban president calls for US embargo relief to normalize diplomatic ties

Cuban President Raul Castro Tuesday asked the United States to lift its economic sanctions against Cuba and return the territory occupied by the US naval base in Guantanamo before normalizing bilateral diplomatic ties.

Cuba's Castro Lauds US Outreach But Demands End of Embargo

Cuban President Raul Castro is praising the Obama administration's push to re-establish ties with Havana, saying the new U.S. policies "constitute an important advancement that has wide support from the international community."

Obama calls Castro ahead of pope's Cuba visit

President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro discussed the normalization process between the two countries during a phone call Friday, the White House said in a statement.

French president meets Fidel Castro during Cuba visit

Francois Hollande has become the first French president to visit Cuba since 1898, holding talks with revolutionary leader Fidel Castro in the capital Havana.

Hollande calls for end to US embargo on historic visit to Cuba

French President François Hollande called Monday for an end to the US embargo on Cuba during a landmark visit to the island, saying France will do whatever possible to help lift the sanctions imposed on the communist nation more than 50 years ago.

Emotional Castro says Cuba blockade not Obama's fault

Cuban President Raul Castro delivered a stunning defense of President Barack Obama on Saturday, absolving him of responsibility for the U.S. blockade against Cuba hours before the two were expected to hold the first major meeting between a U.S. and Cuban president in more than half a century.

Obama indicates the US will lift Cuba 'terror' status

Barack Obama, the US president, has signalled he will soon remove Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, boosting hopes for improved ties as he prepares for what's billed as an historic encounter with Raul Castro, his Cuban counterpart.

US in ‘final stages’ of Cuba's terror sponsor review

The review of Cuba’s state sponsor of terrorism designation is in its “final stages” as President Barack Obama prepares to meet his Cuban counterpart later this week, the U.S. said Tuesday.

Fidel Castro makes first comment on normalization with US

Fidel Castro has broken silence for the first time this year and addressed Cuban students with a letter.

The letter published by the main national daily La Granma contains his first comments on the nascent process of normalization of Cuban-US relations.

Raul Castro, Fidel è vivo e sta bene. Smentite le voci sulla morte

Fidel Castro non è morto. La smentita della notizia che era corsa sul web nelle ultime ore la dà Alejandro Castro Espin, figlio del presidente cubnano in carica Roul Castro, fratello di Fidel, che si trova in questi giorni ad Atene.

France hails Obama and Castro's decision to normalize diplomatic relations

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on Wednesday hailed the move of American and Cuban leaders to open a new chapter on their diplomatic relations which have been severed since 1961.

US and Cuba poised for historic thaw in ties

The United States and Cuba were on the brink of a historic thaw in ties Wednesday after a prisoner exchange cleared the way for talks on ending their five-decade-old stand-off.

Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro were to make major speeches after Havana released US contractor Alan Gross in exchange for three Cubans held in the United States for spying.

Daughter of Cuban president Raul Castro could be onboard Air Algerie plane - Mariela Castro desmiente los rumores sobre su muerte

The daughter of Raul Castro could be on board the crashed plane Air Alghero, NBC News reported.
A total of 116 people were onboard the Air Algerie passenger airplane, among them citizens of at least 15 countries, Algerie Press Service news agency reported citing a communique released by Air Algerie airline.

***Mariela Castro calificó de "absurdas" las informaciones sobre su muerte en declaraciones a Telesur.***

***Mariela Castro later told Venezuelan channel TeleSUR by telephone that she was 'alive' denying all reports that she had been a passenger. "I'm alive and kicking, happy and healthy," she said.***

Chinese president visits Cuba's Heroic City / Xi Jinping y Raúl recorrieron la Ciudad Heroica

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday visited the historically glorious city of Santiago de Cuba, and stressed that only by remembering history can nations create a better future.

Accompanied by Cuban leader Raul Castro, Xi flew to the Cuban "Heroic City," where he laid a wreath at the tomb of Jose Marti, a Cuban national hero and an important figure in Latin American literature.

The Chinese president also visited the Moncada Barracks, where former Cuban leader Fidel Castro launched a failed assault on July 26, 1953, which is widely considered as the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. The barracks have now been turned into a museum and a school city.