US sanctions, power cuts, climate crisis: why Cuba is betting on renewables

With Trump blocking Venezuelan oil imports and old power plants breaking down, the island – with Chinese help – is turning to solar and wind to bolster its fragile energy system Intense heat hangs over the sugarcane fields near Cuba’s eastern coast. In the village of Herradura, a blond-maned horse rests under a palm tree after spending all Saturday in the fields with its owner, Roberto, who cultivates maize and beans. Roberto was among those worst affected by Hurricane Melissa, which hit eastern Cuba – the country’s poorest region – late last year. The storm affected 3.5 million people, damaging or destroying 90,000 homes and 100,000 hectares of crops. Continue reading...

By Anna Heikkinen in Herradura, Cuba

Why is the US targeting Cuba’s global medical missions?

Amid Cuba’s deepening fuel crisis, countries are bowing to US pressure and winding down their Cuban medical programmes.

Rubbish piles up in Havana as Cuba's fuel crisis hits garbage trucks

Rubbish ​has begun to pile up on street corners in the Cuban capital of Havana, attracting hordes of flies ​and reeking of rotten food, in one of the most visible impacts of the US bid to prevent oil from reaching the Caribbean's largest island.

By FRANCE24

Cuba’s tourism grinds to a halt amid Trump’s fuel blockade

Three major Canadian airlines are suspending flights to the popular tourist destination

By Dave Sherwood