25 h. ago ‘She had no interest in the comfort zone’: celebrating the centenary of Celia Cruz, Cuba’s Queen of Salsa

Exiled from Castro’s Cuba, she became a superstar – and a trailblazer in the macho world of salsa. Fans and collaborators including Angélique Kidjo hail an icon of Black empowermentOn 13 November 1973, at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico, Celia Cruz took to the stage in a bejewelled, psychedelic blue dress and vast afro, saluting the 12,500-capacity arena with her trademark rallying cry: “Azucar!” – sugar.The Cuban singer had been a star for more than two decades by this point, but this concert marked a rebirth. Backed by the Fania All-Stars, the in-house orquesta of the label that brought salsa to the US, Cruz performed Bemba Colorá. Devotees have variously decoded its lyric and “big red lips” metaphor as a repudiation of a neighbourhood gossip, a commentary on anti-Black racism or an anthem for female empowerment. Stretched out to a righteous 12-minute call-and-response in Puerto Rico, she recast the song as a cry of anguish over her exile from her homeland, adding lines l...

Politics

32 h. ago 1.4 million people plunged into darkness as solar storm causes terrifying blackouts across swath of US

A widespread blackout hit parts of the US around the same time a massive solar storm struck Earth. More than 1.4 million people were plunged into darkness.

Events

35 h. ago Power restored to more than half of Puerto Rico after island

Wednesday’s outage the latest in series of blackouts to affect Puerto Rico in wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017About 58% of Puerto Rico has has had power restored following an island-wide blackout on Wednesday, the government of Puerto Rico federal affairs administration said on Thursday.It added that current generation stands at 1,439MW. A total of 31 generation units are online, with 16 additional units in the process of being brought back online, it said. Continue reading...

Politics

38 h. ago Belize plane hijacking: Man with knife 'tries to take over jet' full of terrified passengers

Local media have identified the man as an American citizen, adding he was fatally shot after resisting arrest during an incident that forced Belize authorities to ground flights

Events

41 h. ago Passengers ‘thought it was the end’ after terrifying hard landing damaged plane on Puerto Rico runway

‘All of a sudden... everybody starts screaming’ said one passenger

Events

61 h. ago Puerto Rico hit by total blackout as all electricity wiped out across island

Puerto Rico has been hit by a total blackout after electricity was wiped out across the island. The public is being urged to take precautions to deal with the power shortage in the coming hours

Events

4 d. ago Haiti's government announces 'war budget' as town after town falls to gangs

Haiti’s government says it has approved what it called a “war budget” of $275,000 aimed at alleviating the country’s crisis as gang violence surges

Events

7 d. ago A timeline of the roof collapse at an iconic Dominican club that killed 221

A roof collapse at the legendary Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo has plunged the Dominican Republic into mourning

Events

9 d. ago Woman stuck in Puerto Rico as airline refuses to let emotional support parrot on flight

Maria Fraterrigo, 81, had flown into Luis Manoz Marin International Airport in San Jose, Puerto Rico without an issue, but when she got to the gate she was told to "get rid" of her emotional support parrot, Plucky

Politics

1 week ago What is known about the roof collapse at a club in the Dominican Republic that killed at least 44

The roof of an iconic nightclub in the capital of the Dominican Republic collapsed nearly an hour after a merengue concert killing at least 44 people and injuring at least 160

Events

1 week ago UN mission details deadly attacks in Haiti's capital and questions government's delayed response

A new report by the U.N. political mission in Haiti says more than 260 people were killed during recent gang attacks on two communities in the country's capital

Events

2 w. ago Mario Joseph, a renowned human rights attorney in Haiti, dies after a car accident

Mario Joseph, a human rights attorney in Haiti known for his involvement in high-profile cases, has died

Events

3 w. ago Horror moment Egypt Sindbad submarine passenger realised they were suddenly sinking

One terrified passenger from the Sindbad submarine shared their horror after panic quickly set in when the Sindbad submarine began sinking

Events

3 w. ago UN warns of 'severe' human rights abuses in Haiti as illegal weapons proliferate

A U.N. report states that a steady stream of illegal weapons smuggled into Haiti is fueling an increase in gang violence and leading to severe human rights abuses

Events

3 w. ago In Canada, I saw how Trump is ripping North America apart – and how hard its bond will be to repair | Andy Beckett

With the US president now warmer to Moscow than to Ottawa, it’s little surprise Canadians I met rolled their eyes at the decline of the special relationshipAs wealthy but lightly defended countries have often learned, being close to a much more powerful state – geographically or diplomatically – can be a precarious existence. All it takes is an aggressive new government in the stronger state and a relatively equal relationship of economic and military cooperation can suddenly turn exploitative, even threatening.Since Donald Trump’s second inauguration, this realisation has been dawning across the west, but nowhere more disconcertingly than in Canada. Its border with the US is the longest in the world: 5,525 miles of often empty and hard to defend land, lakes and rivers. Canada’s two biggest cities, Toronto and Montreal, are only a few hours to the north, were you to approach them in a US army tank.Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics

last month Raids shatter perception of Puerto Rico as a sanctuary for immigrants

For decades, undocumented immigrants have lived in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico without fear of arrest

Events