Cuba

The first U.S. cruise ship to travel to Cuba in half a century docked in Havana on May 2, marking a new milestone in the rapprochement between the old Cold War foes.

Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro delivered a valedictory speech on April 20 to the Communist Party that he put in power a half-century ago, telling party members he is nearing the end of his life and exhorting them to help his ideas survive.
     

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro (89) has addressed the 7th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.

The gathering reelected his brother Raul to a new five-year mandate at the head of the party, according to Cuban media.

Future top leaders of Cuba's Communist party should retire at 70 to let in younger blood, President Raul Castro said on April 16, suggesting older members of the party hoping for promotion to the top table could play with their grandchildren instead. 

The Rolling Stones took to Cuban media to promise a "historic" occasion when they give their first Havana concert on March 25 in a communist country where rock 'n roll was long considered subversive.

US President Barack Obama told Cubans on March 22 he wants to "bury" decades of Cold War conflict and then joined his counterpart Raul Castro for some baseball diplomacy to wrap up his historic visit to the communist island.

U.S. President Barack Obama pushed Cuba to improve human rights during his historic visit to the Communist-led island on March 21, publicly sparring with President Raul Castro who showed flashes of anger and hit back at U.S. "double standards," while also setting aside differences in pursuit of a "new day," as Obama called it.  

Visiting U.S. President Barack Obama said he believes "change is going to happen" in Cuba, in comments broadcast shortly ahead of rare talks March 21 in Havana with counterpart Raul Castro, while on a historic three-day trip.

President Barack Obama arrived to small but cheering crowds on March 20 at the start of a historic visit to Cuba that opened a new chapter in U.S. engagement with the island's Communist government after decades of hostility between the former Cold War foes.

US President Barack Obama arrived in Cuba on Sunday, becoming the first acting US president to visit the island since 1928.

Shortly after his arrival, Obama delivered a speech at the reopened US embassy in Havana, where he identified the visit as "historic".