https://www.scmp.com/rss/523297/feed The latest news and top stories on Miguel Diaz-Canel, Cuba’s President since 2018 and the First Secretary of the Communist Party in 2021, succeeding Raúl Castro. An electrical engineer by training, he previously served as Minister of Higher Education and held key provincial leadership roles. He has advocated for social and economic modernisation, including increased internet access, and supported LGBTQ+ rights. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Meredith Chen Meredith Chen China has condemned the United States for charging former Cuban leader Raul Castro, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on the island’s socialist government. The US on Wednesday announced criminal charges against Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian planes flown by Miami-based Cuban exiles. All four on board, including three American citizens, were killed in the incident. China “firmly opposes” illegal unilateral sanctions that lack a basis in international law and are not... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354392/china-condemns-us-big-stick-over-castro-charges-and-unauthorised-sanctions-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3354392/china-condemns-us-big-stick-over-castro-charges-and-unauthorised-sanctions-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 10:58:23 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The United States announced on Wednesday criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro over his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people. The indictment, unsealed by acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche in Miami, includes charges of conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of an aircraft, and four individual counts of murder against the 94-year-old brother of... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354286/us-charges-raul-castro-trump-administration-ratchets-pressure-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354286/us-charges-raul-castro-trump-administration-ratchets-pressure-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 17:47:12 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado The United States is expected to unseal criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raul Castro on Wednesday in a move that could further deepen tensions between Washington and Havana and inject new strain into an already volatile regional relationship. Multiple US media outlets, citing US Justice Department sources, have reported that federal prosecutors in Miami are preparing an indictment tied to Cuba’s 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354149/us-plans-charge-raul-castro-increases-trump-administrations-pressure-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3354149/us-plans-charge-raul-castro-increases-trump-administrations-pressure-cuba?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 20:03:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuba’s leader warned on Monday of a “bloodbath” in the event of an American attack, while the US Treasury sanctioned Cuba’s main intelligence agency and top leaders as tensions spiked between the arch-foes. President Miguel Diaz-Canel stressed Cuba’s right to defend itself a day after US news site Axios reported that Havana had obtained over 300 military drones from Russia and Iran and is considering using them against US targets. The report, which quoted US intelligence officials, came amid... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3354025/cuba-warns-bloodbath-if-us-attacks-washington-adds-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3354025/cuba-warns-bloodbath-if-us-attacks-washington-adds-sanctions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 20:51:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The head of the CIA visited Cuba on Thursday, an extraordinary step-up in contact between Washington and Havana as the communist-run island reels from US pressure, declaring that it was out of oil. John Ratcliffe’s ‌trip appeared to be only the second visit by a CIA director to Cuba since former leader Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution. Ratcliffe met with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, grandson of former president Raul Castro, Interior Minister Lazaro Alvarez Casas and the head of Cuban... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3353617/cuba-calls-us-lift-blockade-rather-offer-aid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3353617/cuba-calls-us-lift-blockade-rather-offer-aid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 22:00:06 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado With Congress again failing to curb US President Donald Trump’s authority over Cuba, the centre of gravity in US policy towards the island is shifting decisively back to the White House – and to a narrower, more consequential question: what comes next? Tuesday’s 51-47 Senate vote to block a Democratic-led war powers resolution on Cuba does not change policy on its own. It was widely expected, reflecting a long-standing pattern in which Congress has struggled to assert its war powers authority... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352085/senate-vote-leaves-cubas-uncertain-future-dangerous-crossroads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3352085/senate-vote-leaves-cubas-uncertain-future-dangerous-crossroads?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:39:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Thursday that while Cuba does not want military aggression from the United States, his country is prepared to fight should it happen. Diaz-Canel spoke during a rally that drew hundreds of people to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the declaration of the Cuban Revolution’s socialist essence. “The moment is extremely challenging and calls upon us once again, as on April 16, 1961, to be ready to confront serious threats, including military aggression. We do... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350396/cubas-president-says-island-does-not-wish-us-aggression-ready-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3350396/cubas-president-says-island-does-not-wish-us-aggression-ready-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 03:35:53 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the United States has no valid reason to carry out a military attack against the island or to attempt to depose him. Speaking in an interview on NBC News’ Meet the Press programme, the president said an invasion of Cuba would be costly and affect regional security. But should it happen, Diaz-Canel said, Cubans would defend themselves. “If the time comes, I don’t think there would be any justification for the United States to launch a military aggression... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349817/cubas-president-warns-us-against-attacking-island-or-trying-depose-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349817/cubas-president-warns-us-against-attacking-island-or-trying-depose-him?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 16:47:00 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado,Igor Patrick Teresa Elena Frontado,Igor Patrick China and Russia expressed support for Cuba’s embattled government amid mounting pressure from the United States, as Moscow’s deputy foreign minister concluded a visit to Havana and Beijing signalled its willingness to step up diplomatic backing for the island. “China is willing to work with the international community to firmly support Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, and opposing external interference,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. “The US... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349715/china-russia-rally-behind-cuba-us-squeezes-havana-deepening-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3349715/china-russia-rally-behind-cuba-us-squeezes-havana-deepening-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:30:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A new cast of Castros is emerging in Cuba: a grandson and a great-nephew are moving up the corridors of power, while another is an eccentric Instagram influencer declaring that Cubans want capitalism. US President Donald Trump’s administration is putting pressure on Cuba, demanding change and restricting oil exports to the country, but the Castro dynasty still holds sway on the communist-run island. Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, a colonel and grandson of 94-year-old former president Raul... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349226/new-cast-castros-emerging-cuba-where-name-holds-sway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3349226/new-cast-castros-emerging-cuba-where-name-holds-sway?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:39:58 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuba’s government announced on Thursday that it was pardoning 2,010 prisoners as a “humanitarian” gesture during Holy Week, after pledging in March to release dozens amid heightened US pressure on Havana. The major announcement comes days after US President Donald Trump eased a de facto oil blockade of Cuba by allowing a Russian tanker to deliver crude to the fuel-starved island. The Trump administration has called for change in communist-run Cuba’s system of government and the US president has... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348888/cuba-pardons-2010-prisoners-humanitarian-gesture-amid-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348888/cuba-pardons-2010-prisoners-humanitarian-gesture-amid-us-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:50:12 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Amid ongoing talks between the Trump administration and Cuban leaders, Sandro Castro, the controversial grandson of Fidel Castro, told a major US television news network that most Cubans on the island want to embrace capitalism and that the country’s hand-picked president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, has done a poor job. His statements to CNN’s Havana correspondent, Patrick Oppmann, echoed earlier calls by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for a change of leadership in Havana, and seem to suggest that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348622/fidel-castros-grandson-backs-capitalism-and-trump-deal-slams-cuba-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348622/fidel-castros-grandson-backs-capitalism-and-trump-deal-slams-cuba-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:23:55 +0000 Reuters Reuters Russia said on Monday that an oil tanker carrying ‌100,000 tonnes of crude oil had arrived in Cuba and that Moscow would stand by its friends by working on further supplies despite a US blockade of the Communist-run island. The US cut off Venezuela’s oil exports to Cuba after toppling Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and US President Donald Trump threatened to slap punishing ⁠tariffs on any other country that sent crude to Cuba. But Trump on Sunday signalled he ‌was reversing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348420/russian-oil-tanker-arrives-cuba-moscow-vows-stand-havana?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348420/russian-oil-tanker-arrives-cuba-moscow-vows-stand-havana?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:58:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald ⁠Trump signalled he was reversing course on blocking oil shipments to Cuba on Sunday, saying he had “no problem” with any country sending in crude as a Russian tanker neared a Cuban port with a badly needed shipment. A sanctioned Russian vessel, part of the country’s “shadow fleet”, was just off the coast of eastern Cuba on Sunday, according to ship tracking data, and was expected to reach port on Monday, ‌a lifeline for the country’s economy that has nearly ground to a halt... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348329/us-allow-russian-oil-tanker-reach-cuba-possible-lifeline-caribbean-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348329/us-allow-russian-oil-tanker-reach-cuba-possible-lifeline-caribbean-island?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:29:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Two aid boats bound for Cuba that were feared missing after they set sail from Mexico have “safely transited” to the island, the US coastguard said on Friday. The Mexican Navy had reported on Thursday that it launched a search and rescue mission after losing communication with the vessels, which had left from Isla Mujeres in southeast Mexico on March 20 with nine people aboard. The US coastguard, which was not involved in the search efforts, said on Friday it had received a report at 10.36am... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348215/missing-aid-boats-safely-crossed-cuba-us-coastguard-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348215/missing-aid-boats-safely-crossed-cuba-us-coastguard-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:32:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Mexican navy said on Thursday that it was searching for two boats transporting humanitarian aid for Cuba with nine crew of different nationalities on board. The vessels set sail last Friday from Isla Mujeres in Mexico’s southeastern state of Quintana Roo and were due to arrive in Havana on Tuesday or Wednesday this week, the navy said in a statement. It said that there had been neither “communication nor confirmation of their arrival” in Cuba and that it has alerted naval commanders in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348065/mexicos-navy-searches-2-cuba-bound-aid-boats-are-missing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3348065/mexicos-navy-searches-2-cuba-bound-aid-boats-are-missing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 01:41:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The first boat of a flotilla carrying medical supplies, food and solar panels reached Cuba on Tuesday to aid the island as a US fuel blockade deepens its energy crisis. The Maguro shrimp fishing boat docked in Havana three days later than hoped after battling strong winds, currents and a pesky battery during its journey from Mexico. As they approached Havana’s colonial-era fortification, the international activists stood on the cabin roof of the boat - symbolically renamed “Granma 2.0” as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347810/humanitarian-aid-boat-arrives-cuba-amid-us-blockade-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347810/humanitarian-aid-boat-arrives-cuba-amid-us-blockade-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:27:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Cuba is ⁠prepared for the unlikely ⁠possibility of a ⁠military engagement with the United States, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said over the weekend in response to US President Donald Trump’s threats to take over ‌the Caribbean island nation. Havana and Washington entered talks earlier this month as an oil blockade imposed by Trump pushes the Communist-run nation deeper into economic crisis. Trump last week escalated his rhetoric against Cuba, saying he expected to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347511/cuba-ready-potential-attack-us-amid-oil-blockade-deputy-foreign-minister?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347511/cuba-ready-potential-attack-us-amid-oil-blockade-deputy-foreign-minister?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 19:30:48 +0000 dpa dpa Cuba has refused to allow the US embassy in Havana to import diesel to power its generators during the island’s ongoing energy crisis, according to a media report. The Cuban foreign ministry denied the request, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing a protest note in which Havana described the embassy’s claim to such privileges as “shameless” and unavailable to the Cuban people. The move comes as the Caribbean island grapples with severe fuel shortages and widespread power outages. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347453/cuba-rejects-shameless-us-request-diesel-amid-trump-oil-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3347453/cuba-rejects-shameless-us-request-diesel-amid-trump-oil-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 23:39:39 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan As Washington steps up rhetoric and pressure on Cuba after its campaign in Iran, Beijing finds itself torn between geopolitical reality and ideological affinity. According to analysts, Beijing has few good options to counter US hegemony in Washington’s own backyard, and its response is likely to be constrained to diplomatic opposition and modest humanitarian aid. They said any disruption to global stability ultimately harmed Beijing’s interests and did not see prolonged US military action... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346970/trump-ramps-pressure-cuba-china-has-very-limited-options?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3346970/trump-ramps-pressure-cuba-china-has-very-limited-options?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuba’s leader on Tuesday said the US would face “unbreakable resistance” if it tries to take over the impoverished island nation, as communist authorities scrambled to fix a nationwide electricity blackout. Cuba’s government has been under increasingly crushing pressure, with Washington enforcing an oil blockade and openly stating it wants to end the nearly seven-decade-old US stand-off with the one-party communist state. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba’s decision announced this week... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346971/cubas-leader-vows-unbreakable-resistance-if-us-tries-take-over-island?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346971/cubas-leader-vows-unbreakable-resistance-if-us-tries-take-over-island?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:01:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Friday that his government has held recent talks with the US, marking the first time the Caribbean country confirms such speculation. He said the talks “were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations. International factors facilitated these exchanges”. He did not elaborate on those factors. Diaz-Canel said no petroleum shipments have arrived on the island in the past three months, which he blamed on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346541/cuba-confirms-talks-us-island-gasps-under-trumps-energy-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3346541/cuba-confirms-talks-us-island-gasps-under-trumps-energy-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:43:41 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick China will support Cuba “in the best way possible” as the island grapples with an energy crisis following tougher measures imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday. Speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China “will do what it can” to assist Havana and again condemned what he described as “inhumane actions that deprive the Cuban people of their right to survival and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343242/china-vows-do-what-it-can-us-blockade-leaves-cuba-just-weeks-oil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343242/china-vows-do-what-it-can-us-blockade-leaves-cuba-just-weeks-oil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 22:37:01 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Cuban aviation officials have warned airlines that there is not enough fuel for planes to refuel on the island, the latest step in its moves to ration energy as the Trump administration cuts the Caribbean nation off from its fuel resources. The government of Cuba published the notices to airlines and pilots on Sunday night, warning that jet fuel would not be available at nine airports across the island, including Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, starting on Tuesday and continuing... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343015/cuba-warns-airlines-its-almost-out-fuel-us-blockade-deepens-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3343015/cuba-warns-airlines-its-almost-out-fuel-us-blockade-deepens-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:20:50 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US government on Thursday announced an additional US$6 million in aid for Cuba as the island’s crisis deepens and tensions escalate between the two countries, with Cuba’s president accusing the US of an “energy blockade”. The aid was largely meant for those living in Cuba’s eastern region, which Hurricane Melissa slammed into late last year. The supplies include rice, beans, pasta, cans of tuna and solar lamps that will be delivered by the Catholic Church and Caritas, said US Department of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3342640/us-pledges-food-aid-cuba-while-putting-squeeze-fuel-supply?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3342640/us-pledges-food-aid-cuba-while-putting-squeeze-fuel-supply?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 07:35:56 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan A new Chinese emergency aid programme has delivered its first shipment of rice to Cuba, where food and fuel shortages are expected to worsen as a tightened US blockade halts Venezuelan shipments. Under the programme, China will send 30,000 tonnes of rice to the island nation, according to the state news agency Xinhua. The first shipment was handed over on Monday, while a second batch has arrived at the Port of Santiago de Cuba. Additional deliveries are expected to leave China soon. The aid... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340604/china-sends-emergency-food-aid-cuba-us-sanctions-worsen-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340604/china-sends-emergency-food-aid-cuba-us-sanctions-worsen-shortages?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cuba’s leader on Monday reacted defiantly to US President Donald Trump’s threats to “make a deal” or pay the price in the aftermath of key ally Nicolas Maduro’s ouster in a US military raid. Trump has been ramping up pressure on Cuba, one of the few Latin American countries still run by an authoritarian leftist administration after Venezuelan leader Maduro’s capture on January 3. “We’re talking with Cuba,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on Sunday, hours after urging Havana to do a deal to head... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339642/cubas-diaz-say-no-conversations-us-after-trump-threats-amid-venezuela-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339642/cubas-diaz-say-no-conversations-us-after-trump-threats-amid-venezuela-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:52:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump on Sunday said no more Venezuelan oil or money would go to Cuba and suggested the Communist-run island should strike a deal with Washington, ramping ‍up pressure on the long-time US nemesis and provoking defiant words from the island’s leadership. Venezuela is Cuba’s biggest oil supplier, but no cargoes have departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean country since the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by US forces in early January amid a strict US oil... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3339517/trump-says-no-more-venezuelan-oil-or-money-go-cuba-pushes-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3339517/trump-says-no-more-venezuelan-oil-or-money-go-cuba-pushes-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 16:57:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press People across the northern Caribbean were digging out from the destruction of Hurricane Melissa on Thursday as deaths from the catastrophic storm climbed. The rumble of large machinery, the whine of chainsaws and the chopping of machetes echoed throughout southeast Jamaica as government workers and residents began clearing roads in a push to reach isolated communities that sustained a direct hit from one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record. Emergency relief flights began landing at... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3330821/hurricane-melissa-leaves-dozens-dead-rampage-across-cuba-haiti-and-jamaica?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3330821/hurricane-melissa-leaves-dozens-dead-rampage-across-cuba-haiti-and-jamaica?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 17:10:52 +0000 Sylvie Zhuang Sylvie Zhuang The past week has been a flurry of not only state-level diplomacy but also party-to-party outreach, with President Xi Jinping receiving a series of leaders from the four remaining communist countries on a single day. Xi held meetings with leaders from Cuba, North Korea, Laos and Vietnam, all of whom attended Wednesday’s military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the war against Japanese aggression. While Beijing has no interest in promoting a communist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324543/chinas-party-diplomacy-play-communist-leaders-gather-military-parade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3324543/chinas-party-diplomacy-play-communist-leaders-gather-military-parade?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Sep 2025 03:00:19 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Brilliant. Pivotal. Very well held. That is how some countries described the massive military parade in the heart of the Chinese capital on Wednesday. But these countries are either some of China’s closest neighbours or part of the developing world – a group that Beijing has long sought to influence. Elsewhere, particularly in the West, the reaction was more critical. The parade had a dual effect – it marked 80 years since the end of World War II and showcased China’s growing military might and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324194/reviews-are-chinas-allies-give-top-marks-parade-west-not-won-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324194/reviews-are-chinas-allies-give-top-marks-parade-west-not-won-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 12:00:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Cuban minister who sparked criticism after saying that there are no beggars in Cuba, only people disguised as such, resigned on Tuesday. Cuba’s presidency said in a post on X that Minister of Labour and Social Security Marta Elena Feito Cabrera “acknowledged her errors and submitted her resignation”. Feito made the on Monday before deputies in a National Assembly committee. The comments went viral, prompting calls for Feito’s impeachment and a wave of criticism in a country experiencing a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3318372/cuba-minister-resigns-after-saying-her-country-has-no-beggars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3318372/cuba-minister-resigns-after-saying-her-country-has-no-beggars?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 03:26:29 +0000