8 h. ago ‘History will tell’: as US pressure grows, Cuba edges closer to collapse amid mass exodus

Disillusioned with the revolution after 68 years of US sanctions and a shattered economy, one in four Cubans have left in four years. Can the regime, and country, survive the engulfing ‘polycrisis’?Hatri Echazabal Orta lives in Madrid, Spain. Maykel Fernández is in Charlotte, in the US, while Cristian Cuadra remains in Havana, Cuba – for now. All Cubans, all raised on revolutionary ideals and educated in good state-run schools, they have become disillusioned with the cherished national narrative that Cuba is a country of revolution and resistance. Facing a lack of political openness and poor economic prospects, each of them made the same decision: to leave.They are not alone. After 68 years of partial sanctions and nearly 64 years of total economic embargo by the US, independent demographic studies suggest that Cuba is going through the world’s fastest population decline and is probably already below 8 million – a 25% drop in just four years, suggesting its population has shrunk by ...

Events

34 h. ago US forces have intercepted another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, US military says

The U.S. military says U.S. forces have boarded another oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea as the Trump administration continues to target sanctioned tankers traveling to and from Venezuela

Events

36 h. ago Keir Starmer dismisses Elon Musk's changes to Grok as 'insulting' to victims amid row over AI

Downing Street reiterated the Prime Minister was leaving 'all options' on the table as regulator Ofcom looks into X and xAI, the firm which created the Grok AI tool.

Events

36 h. ago Donald Trump ally threatens to push sanctions on Britain if Keir Starmer takes tough action against X site over AI generating sexual images

The Prime Minister has asked for 'all options to be on the table' as regulator Ofcom looks into X and xAI, the firm which created the Grok AI tool.

Politics

46 h. ago US Navy chasing oil tankers fleeing Venezuelan waters across the Atlantic

The United States Navy is on the hunt for a group of over a dozen oil tankers that have been sanctioned by Donald Trump after illegally entering Venezuelan waters.

Events

61 h. ago Trump latest: President accused of ‘insane plan’ to ‘steal Venezuelan oil at gunpoint’

Trump claimed that American companies would be sending workers to Venezuela to help rebuild the nation’s oil industry infrastructure

Politics

67 h. ago U.S. vows to control Venezuela’s oil ‘indefinitely’ after UK helps Trump seize two tankers: Live updates

Trump claimed that American companies would be sending workers to Venezuela to help rebuild the nation’s oil industry infrastructure

Politics

68 h. ago U.S. vows to control Venezuela’s oil ‘indefinitely’ as British army helps Trump seize two tankers: Live updates

Trump claimed that American companies would be sending workers to Venezuela to help rebuild the nation’s oil industry infrastructure

Politics

3 d. ago Trump says Venezuela will purchase ‘only’ American products with oil deal revenue as US seizes two tankers: Live updates

Trump previously claimed that American companies would be sending workers to Venezuela to help rebuild the nation’s oil industry infrastructure

Politics

3 d. ago Oil prices fall after Trump says Venezuela will send up to 50m barrels to US

Deal would give US president power to sell up to $3bn-worth of crude stranded in tankers and storage facilitiesBusiness live – latest updatesGlobal oil prices have fallen by more than 1% after Donald Trump said Venezuela would hand over 30m to 50m barrels of the country’s blockaded crude to the US.The deal would give the US president the power to sell up to $3bn (£2.2bn) worth of Venezuelan crude stranded in tankers and storage facilities into an already oversupplied global market. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago FTSE 100 LIVE: London falls and Europe mixed as Trump says Venezuela will send oil supply to US

FTSE 100 LIVE: London falls and Europe mixed as Trump says Venezuela will send oil supply to US  Yahoo Finance UK

Politics

3 d. ago Oil price falls after Trump says Venezuela will send supply to US – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as Brent crude drops back to $60 a barrelVenezuela ‘turning over’ $2bn in oil to US, Trump says, in move that could cut supply to ChinaDonald Trump’s “gunboat diplomacy” in Venezuela shows that securing access to critical natural resources such as oil is now a key priority for Washington, say analysts at Unicredit.They point out, in a note to clients, that the toppling of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro marked a decisive break with the rules‑based international order, ushering in a more assertive, America‑First form of hegemony across the western hemisphere.Given that China was the main buyer of smuggled Venezuelan oil and is Caracas’s principal creditor, the move is clearly intended to send a strong signal to Beijing, which has ambitious plans in South America, particularly in resource‑rich countries such as Peru.In 2023, China and Venezuela formalised an “all‑weather strategic partnership”. Beijing also used oil trade...

Politics

3 d. ago Chevron and Quantum Energy Partners line up bid for $22bn of Lukoil assets

Trump administration signals support for proposal to divvy up sanctioned Russian company’s international businesses

Politics

3 d. ago Trump says US to take sanctioned Venezuelan oil to American ports

President says he will control money earned from sale of up to 50mn barrels of crude

Politics

4 d. ago Trump's oil tanker wars: US 'plots interception of sanctioned Russian shadow fleet ship'

The deceptive tactics appear to be part of a seemingly coordinated attempt to bypass American naval forces in the region and could trigger US military action.

Events

5 d. ago Oil tankers break Trump’s blockade of Venezuela by escaping in ‘Dark Mode’ coordinated dash past US Navy & Coast Guard

MORE than a dozen sanctioned oil tankers have fled Venezuelan waters, defying Trump's naval blockade. The vessels - mostly loaded with Venezuelan crude and fuel - stealthily escaped the country's waters by throwing off location trackers, making the ships appear to be thousands of miles away. Flicking trackers into "dark mode", the ships bypassed American...

Politics

5 d. ago A dozen oil tankers leave Venezuela in ‘dark mode’ despite Trump blockade, report says

At least four of the departed tankers left Venezuelan waters on Saturday through a route north of Margarita island

Politics

2 w. ago Trump administration accused of ‘bullying tactics’ over sanctions

Former Labour adviser Imran Ahmed and the chief of UK-based Global Disinformation Index Clare Melford were targeted by the US administration.

Politics

2 w. ago ‘Gunboat diplomacy on steroids’: US signs security deals across Latin America

Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro warns Trump administration may ‘destabilise the entire region’ amid rising tensionsWhile all eyes are on the four-month-long US military campaign against Venezuela, the White House has been quietly striking security agreements with other countries to deploy US troops across Latin America and the Caribbean.As Donald Trump announced a blockade on sanctioned oil tankers and ordered the seizure of vessels amid airstrikes that have killed more than 100 people in the Caribbean and the Pacific, the US secured military deals with Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago in the past week alone. Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago Russia and China pledge support for Venezuela as Trump ratchets up pressure on Maduro

Trump again called for Venezuela’s president to leave power and said the US would keep or sell the oil it had seizedChina and Russia have expressed support for Venezuela as it confronts a US blockade of sanctioned oil tankers, while Donald Trump continues to ramp up his pressure campaign on the South American country’s president, Nicolás Maduro.Amid reports of slowing activity at Venezuelan ports, the US president again called for Maduro to leave power, and reiterated that the US would keep or sell the oil it had seized off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks. Continue reading...

Politics