U.S. ends special immigration policy for Cubans

Russia dispatches over 88 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Cuba, according to the Russian defence ministry, following unprecedented street protests against the communist government in Havana.

Cuba has accused the United States of encouraging such an attack through "calls for violence." Washington earlier urged Cuba to release detained protesters.

Hundreds of Cuban Americans, political refugees and activists marched on the US capital Monday to protest against the Cuban government and its crackdown on anti-communist demonstrations earlier this month.

The latest sanctions on Cubaꞌs interior police follow mass protests on the island that started on July 11. Cuban-American leaders met Biden at the White House Friday.

Weeks after thousands of people took to the streets of Cuba to protest against the government, authorities have introduced laws restricting the use of social media and the internet.

The US Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that requires the Biden administration to reinstate the controversial Trump-era immigration policy.

Cuban authorities launch a national campaign to vaccinate children aged two to 18 against Covid-19. With the Delta variant spreading across the island of 11.2 million, the country's health care system has been pushed to the brink, and the government says it will only gradually re-open schools for in-person instruction in October after the vaccination campaign among children is completed.

Hotel and restaurant workers hope Cuba's decision to gradually reopen its border from November 15 will be a boost for business.

Faced with shortages of food and medicine, power blackouts and an economy in crisis, thousands of Cubans staged rare protests last summer. But since then, little has been heard from them. Cuban exiles in the United States are worried about developments on the island.

Human Rights Watch accuses the Cuban government of arresting people arbitrarily, mistreating detainees and holding sham trials in revenge for unprecedented street protests that erupted across the country this summer.

Cuba's opposition plans to go ahead with protests demanding greater freedom and the release of political prisoners. The US has accused Havana of orchestrating a clampdown.

Dissidents were arrested or prevented from leaving their apartments. The Cuban government has accused the US of endorsing the unrest in an attempt to destabilize the island.