The shutdown, described by analysts as the longest in the country’s history, has severely limited access to foreign websites, messaging apps and social media platforms, while selected domestic services remain operational.

Iranian officials say the measures are necessary to counter espionage and cyber threats during the conflict. Critics, however, argue the restrictions are creating a two-tiered internet system that favors approved professionals and regime-linked figures.

Since April, doctors, lawyers and some business owners have reportedly gained broader online access through a program known as “Internet Pro,” while ordinary citizens increasingly rely on costly VPNs or illegal Starlink terminals to stay connected.

Rights advocates and analysts say the blackout has intensified economic hardship for freelancers and online businesses already struggling under sanctions and rising living costs.

An Iraqi migrant who travelled through multiple European countries hidden inside a locked compartment in a lorry said he feared he would die during the journey, describing the risks faced by people using smuggling networks to reach Western Europe amid ongoing instability and economic hardship in parts of the Middle East.

The man, said he fled Iraq after receiving threats and later attempted to reach the United Kingdom through irregular migration routes operated by smugglers.

His testimony offers a detailed account of the conditions migrants can face while attempting clandestine crossings between mainland Europe and Britain, a route that has remained under close scrutiny by European authorities.

According to the account, the migrant travelled with minimal belongings, carrying only a small backpack containing spare clothes and a mobile phone. He said the phone was intended as a last resort to contact police if smugglers abandoned him inside the concealed compartment.

The man said he and another migrant were locked inside a box-like space within a lorry for approximately 12 hours while travelling toward the French port city of Calais, one of the principal staging points for irregular crossings to Britain.

He described the conditions as physically severe, saying there was no opportunity to eat, drink or use a toilet during the journey.“After they get your money, smugglers don’t care if you live or die,” he said, describing the experience of relying on trafficking networks to move across borders.

European law enforcement agencies have repeatedly warned about the dangers associated with human smuggling operations. Europol and British authorities have documented cases in recent years in which migrants concealed in freight vehicles suffered dehydration, hypothermia and suffocation during cross-border journeys.

The English Channel route has become one of Europe’s most politically sensitive migration corridors, with governments in Britain and France increasing enforcement efforts against organised smuggling groups.The migrant said that by the time the lorry reached Calais and the compartment was opened, he felt close to death and was suffering from severely frozen feet.

He said the experience convinced him never again to attempt travel hidden inside a freight vehicle.After arriving in France, the man said the driver ordered the migrants to leave immediately.

According to his account, the second migrant went to stay with relatives, while he decided to continue travelling because he believed he remained at risk in France due to alleged connections between smugglers and individuals who had threatened him in Iraq.He later travelled by train through France and onward to Italy, where he is currently residing.

The migrant said he chose the region because he had heard it was easier there to obtain documents allowing legal employment.The account reflects broader migration patterns across southern Europe, where many asylum seekers and undocumented migrants seek temporary residence while attempting to secure work permits or asylum protections.

Italy remains one of the main entry and transit countries for migrants arriving in Europe through Mediterranean and overland routes.The migrant said he is still unable to work legally because he has not yet received the necessary documentation.

He described struggling financially and dealing with depression while attempting to establish stability in Europe.Despite the difficulties, he said his long-term objective remains returning legally to Britain, where he hopes to open a barber shop and live permanently through regular employment and tax-paying work.

He said he wants “a safe, legal and normal life.”His account also referenced the deteriorating security situation in his home region. He said his city in Iraq had recently been targeted by drones during regional hostilities involving Iran, Israel and the United States, which he said reinforced his belief that returning home would be unsafe.

Iraq has experienced periodic regional spillover from broader Middle East tensions, including drone and missile incidents linked to conflicts involving Iran-backed groups, Israeli military operations and U.S. regional deployments.

Security analysts have noted that renewed instability has contributed to continued outward migration pressures among some Iraqis, particularly younger people facing insecurity, unemployment and political uncertainty.

European governments have continued to tighten migration enforcement policies while simultaneously expanding efforts to dismantle organised smuggling networks operating across the continent. British authorities have increased cooperation with France and other European states to target criminal groups facilitating irregular Channel crossings, while rights organisations have argued that limited legal migration pathways continue to push vulnerable people toward dangerous alternatives.

Humanitarian organisations working with migrants in northern France and southern Europe have repeatedly warned that irregular migrants often face exploitation, violence and unsafe transportation methods while attempting to move between countries.

Aid groups say many migrants continue to undertake such journeys despite the risks because they believe they have limited alternatives.

The migrant’s testimony underscores the personal risks associated with clandestine migration routes that continue to operate across Europe despite intensified policing and border enforcement measures.

More than three decades after recording her first album, former Miss America winner Suzette Charles is preparing to release her debut record, marking an unexpected return to public life following years of professional setbacks, industry disputes and a prolonged absence from entertainment.

Charles, now 63, first emerged in the national spotlight after becoming the first biracial woman to hold the Miss America title in 1984 under highly publicised circumstances. Her career trajectory initially appeared to position her for mainstream pop success, with performances alongside some of the biggest names in American music, including Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder and Sammy Davis Jr.

.Despite those opportunities, Charles’s recording career stalled amid industry turmoil and personal difficulties that she says effectively removed her from public view for decades.Speaking about the delayed release of her self-titled album, Charles said she struggled to believe the project was finally reaching audiences after more than 30 years in limbo.

The album was originally developed in collaboration with British songwriting and production trio Stock Aitken Waterman, the team behind chart successes for artists including Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Producer Mike Stock said Charles’s vocal ability ranked alongside established international performers he had worked with previously, including Paul McCartney and Donna Summer.Charles grew up in Philadelphia and attended performing arts school, beginning her entertainment career in childhood.

She appeared in advertising campaigns for major consumer brands and featured on children’s television programmes including the PBS educational series Sesame Street and The Electric Company, which starred Morgan Freeman early in his career.

At 15, Charles contributed to the soundtrack of the film adaptation of Hair and later auditioned unsuccessfully for the role of Coco Hernandez in Fame, eventually played by Irene Cara.Her national breakthrough came during the Miss America 1984 competition, where she represented New Jersey.

Charles said some contestants engaged in hostile behaviour behind the scenes, describing attempts to sabotage competitors’ clothing and performances during the pageant.She initially finished as runner-up to Vanessa Williams.

However, Williams resigned 10 months later after Penthouse magazine published nude photographs taken before the competition. Charles subsequently inherited the title, becoming the first biracial Miss America.Reflecting on the controversy decades later, Charles questioned the severity of the organisers’ response while also acknowledging that contestants had signed morality agreements intended to protect the pageant’s image.

She described her acceptance of the crown as “bittersweet”.The Miss America title significantly raised her profile within the entertainment industry. Charles later joined touring productions featuring Sinatra, Davis Jr and Wonder. She recalled that Wonder occasionally sought her opinion on new material, including an early version of his future hit “I Just Called to Say I Love You.”

Another major opportunity emerged when comedian and actor Bill Cosby invited Charles to tour as a supporting musical act and considered her for a role in The Cosby Show. Charles said rumours about Cosby’s behaviour toward women were already circulating within entertainment circles at the time.According to Charles, her father warned Cosby directly to maintain professional boundaries.

During the tour, she said she declined requests to meet privately with him late at night, after which she experienced what she described as humiliating treatment on stage. She said Cosby began interrupting her performances and publicly mocking her in front of audiences.

Charles said the television role was ultimately withdrawn.Cosby was convicted in 2018 on charges of aggravated indecent assault before the conviction was later overturned by Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court on procedural grounds in 2021. More than 60 women have publicly accused him of sexual misconduct, allegations he has consistently denied.

Charles’s music career later suffered another major setback after the breakup of Stock Aitken Waterman halted work on her debut album. The collapse of the project, combined with contractual and label-related disputes, left her without a commercial release despite extensive recording sessions.

She subsequently stepped away from entertainment almost entirely during a lengthy marriage that she says restricted her artistic ambitions and public profile. Charles said she prioritised family life for years while suppressing her desire to return to performing.

Following her divorce and return to academic studies, Charles reconnected with Stock after encouragement from her family and later from attorney Paul Kaplan, whom she eventually married.The pair reunited professionally in 2015 before resuming recording work in 2024.

The completed album combines updated versions of previously recorded material with new compositions focused on emotional recovery, personal independence and relationships that limit self-expression.

Stock said older female performers often struggle to find support within a music industry heavily focused on younger audiences, despite continuing demand from listeners of similar age groups.Charles said the new recordings gave older songs entirely different emotional meanings, particularly tracks dealing with freedom and personal reinvention.

She described the album as representing a stage of life in which she finally felt able to define herself independently.

During earlier tours with Davis Jr, Charles frequently performed his signature song “I’ve Gotta Be Me.” She said she only fully understood the meaning of the song much later in life.

From wild camping on remote Scottish beaches to film-inspired weekends in northern England, travellers across Britain are increasingly seeking quieter destinations away from traditional tourist centres, according to a collection of reader recommendations published by the Guardian.

The suggestions reflect continued interest in domestic tourism focused on natural landscapes, cultural heritage and smaller towns offering alternatives to heavily visited cities and resort areas. Many of the featured destinations combine outdoor activities with links to television, film and literary history.

One recommendation focused on the cathedral city of Wells, described as a compact and walkable alternative to larger tourist destinations such as Bath. The city gained renewed visibility among film fans after serving as a principal filming location for the 2007 comedy-action film Hot Fuzz, starring Simon Pegg.

Visitors highlighted the city’s medieval architecture, including Wells Cathedral, known for its gothic design and one of Britain’s oldest working clocks dating to the late 14th century.

Nearby attractions include Bishop’s Palace and the surrounding Mendip region, which includes Cheddar Gorge and Wookey Hole Caves.In western Scotland, travellers recommended the remote Ardnamurchan Peninsula, which contains the westernmost point of mainland Britain at Corrachadh Mòr.

One visitor described wild camping near Sanna Bay, an area known for shell-sand beaches, machair grasslands and coastal wildlife.The region has become increasingly popular among outdoor travellers seeking low-cost and nature-focused experiences.

Visitors to the peninsula frequently travel to Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, where sightings of dolphins and seabirds are common during warmer months.Another recommendation centred on North Berwick, a coastal town east of Edinburgh that has benefited from rising demand for short domestic rail trips.

Travellers highlighted the area’s beaches, harbour and views across the Firth of Forth toward Bass Rock, a volcanic island known for one of the world’s largest northern gannet colonies.The nearby Scottish Seabird Centre has become a major attraction for wildlife tourism in the region, particularly during spring and summer migration periods.

In southwest England, readers recommended the village of Beer as a family-friendly destination offering coastal walks and rock-pooling activities. One traveller described staying at YHA Beer while exploring the Jurassic Coast with children.The nearby clifftop walking route connecting Beer and Seaton was highlighted for its coastal views.

Travellers also recommended Woozie’s Deli for picnic supplies and locally prepared food.Film and television tourism also featured prominently among the recommendations. One visitor described travelling to Hebden Bridge and surrounding areas connected to the BBC crime drama Happy Valley.

The trip included visits to filming locations in nearby Sowerby Bridge and walks through the Yorkshire moorland landscape surrounding Hardcastle Crags. Visitors also travelled to Heptonstall to visit the grave of Sylvia Plath.

The area’s independent cultural venues, including Hebden Bridge Picture House, continue to attract visitors seeking smaller-scale tourism experiences outside major urban centres.

Tourism analysts in Britain have noted sustained growth in domestic travel since the pandemic period, particularly in rural and coastal regions offering outdoor activities and short-stay accommodation.

Smaller destinations with strong transport links and cultural recognition from television or film productions have increasingly benefited from travellers seeking alternatives to crowded international hotspots.

A series of documentary photography exhibitions presented through New York’s annual Photoville festival is drawing attention to themes of gender identity, immigration, incarceration and Indigenous cultural preservation, reflecting a broader shift toward socially engaged visual storytelling in contemporary photography.

The exhibitions, curated across multiple outdoor and gallery spaces, bring together photographers examining subjects ranging from transgender identity in the Netherlands to rehabilitation programmes inside maximum-security prisons in the United States. Organisers say this year’s projects place particular emphasis on human connection and emotional resilience at a time of political and social division.

One of the featured exhibitions centres on the late Dutch photographer Diana Blok Wolff, whose portraits documented transgender individuals and gender expression decades before such issues entered mainstream public debate. According to Wolff associate Brouwer, a commitment was made during the photographer’s lifetime to preserve and promote her work internationally.

Recent exhibitions in Amsterdam and New York City have introduced new audiences to Wolff’s archive, which Brouwer described as deeply focused on individual identity rather than social categorisation. “He really looked at people as individuals,” Brouwer said. “It was always the individual he wanted to photograph.

”Another exhibition, titled Point of View, combines self-portraits created by Dutch college students exploring gender identity with historical artworks from the archives of Rijksmuseum. Curator Barzilay said the project was intended both to encourage reflection on gender identity and to normalise the existence of transgender people within broader historical narratives.

Barzilay described the inclusion of transgender-related imagery in the Rijksmuseum collection as culturally significant because it demonstrated that gender diversity had long existed within Dutch society. “We’re still litigating a thing that people have already resolved,” he said.Questions surrounding gender identity and transgender representation have become increasingly politicised internationally in recent years, particularly in debates over education, healthcare and public policy.

Museums and cultural institutions across Europe and North America have expanded efforts to incorporate LGBTQ+ histories into permanent collections and exhibitions.Another project presented at Photoville, The Avillas by photographer Lexi Parra, examines the impact of immigration enforcement on a family after its matriarch self-deported from the United States amid fears linked to anti-immigration rhetoric during the administration of Donald Trump.

The series documents the family’s attempts to adapt after separation from a central parental figure, presenting the emotional and social consequences of immigration policies on mixed-status households. Barzilay described the project as an examination of “what happens when a beloved member of a family is torn away from it.

”Immigration policy during Trump’s presidency included stricter border enforcement measures, expanded deportation operations and heightened political debate over undocumented migration. Advocacy organisations have argued that these policies contributed to fear and instability among immigrant communities across the United States.

Among the most widely discussed exhibitions at the festival is Puppies Behind Bars, a collaborative project by photographers Ashley Gilbertson and Ava Pellor documenting a prison rehabilitation initiative inside Green Haven Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in New York state.

The programme allows incarcerated men to raise puppies that are later trained as service dogs. Gloria Gilbert Stoga, founder of the organisation Puppies Behind Bars, said she intentionally sought photographers experienced in conflict and crisis reporting because of the psychological intensity of prison environments.

Gilbertson is known internationally for his coverage of the Iraq War, while Pellor has documented wildfires and migrant border crossings in the Balkans. Their images capture daily life within the prison while focusing on emotional vulnerability and rehabilitation among inmates participating in the programme.

“The dogs humanize an environment that’s devoid of all humanity,” Gilbertson said, describing the programme’s effect on participants. He said caring for animals gave many inmates responsibility, emotional openness and continuity that had previously been absent from their lives.

Pellor recalled photographing a prisoner who became emotional after receiving a puppy for the first time. According to Pellor, the inmate remained physically close to the dog throughout the day after breaking down in tears during an outdoor walk.

Criminal justice researchers in the United States have increasingly studied animal-assisted rehabilitation programmes within prisons, with some studies suggesting they can improve emotional regulation, reduce disciplinary incidents and support reintegration efforts after release.

Another exhibition attracting attention is The Women’s Grass by Whitney Snow, which documents the cultural and spiritual significance of sweetgrass within the Blackfeet Nation community.

Sweetgrass has long held ceremonial and medicinal importance among Indigenous groups in North America, with harvesting traditions often passed between generations of women. Snow said women with extensive knowledge of the plant hold respected positions within Blackfeet society.

The photographer said she worked closely with tribal elders during production of the project to ensure sacred traditions were represented respectfully and without exploitation. Snow described her approach as an attempt to balance cultural education for outside audiences with the need to preserve community boundaries.

Her images focus on the landscapes, rituals and emotional connections surrounding sweetgrass harvesting, emphasising calmness and interconnectedness with nature rather than ethnographic spectacle.

Curators said many projects submitted to this year’s Photoville festival unexpectedly centred on joy, healing and emotional renewal despite addressing subjects often associated with trauma or political conflict.

Modi’s six-day visit starts in the United Arab Emirates before continuing to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy, with New Delhi seeking to secure energy supplies and deepen economic ties with Europe following the India-European Union free trade agreement finalized in January.

The trip comes as disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf maritime corridors continue to pressure energy-importing economies. India, the world’s third-largest oil buyer, typically sources nearly half of its crude imports through the strategic waterway.

India’s foreign ministry said discussions in the UAE would focus on “strengthening our energy security,” including cooperation on oil and liquefied petroleum gas supplies. The Gulf nation hosts an Indian diaspora estimated at 4.5 million people and remains one of New Delhi’s key energy partners.

Analysts said the visit reflects India’s broader push to diversify strategic partnerships while positioning itself as an alternative manufacturing and technology hub amid shifting geopolitical alignments and supply-chain realignments away from China.

“The recently concluded India-EU free trade agreement has already created momentum,” former Indian ambassador Anil Wadhwa told AFP, adding that India was seeking to position itself as a “trusted economic, technological and clean energy partner.”The European leg of the tour will focus heavily on trade and investment cooperation.

Modi is scheduled to meet Dutch leaders later on Friday for talks expected to cover bilateral trade, defense cooperation, semiconductors, water management, agriculture and healthcare.India and the EU concluded a landmark free trade agreement in January, which Modi described as the “mother of all deals.” European policymakers increasingly view India, the world’s most populous country, as a critical market and strategic counterweight in Asia.

In Sweden, Modi will attend a European business leaders forum alongside Ursula von der Leyen before traveling to Oslo for an India-Nordic summit, marking the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Norway in more than four decades.

Former Indian ambassador K.C. Singh said the Gulf leg of the visit also reflected changing regional alignments following escalating Middle East tensions.“A new international environment now prevails,” Singh told AFP, citing fractures within the Gulf Cooperation Council and growing strategic competition involving Iran, Gulf states, the United States and Israel.

Modi also met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New Delhi on Thursday ahead of the trip, underlining India’s effort to maintain diplomatic engagement across rival regional blocs.Energy analysts said New Delhi could pursue agreements linked to strategic petroleum reserves and long-term LPG supply arrangements to reduce vulnerability to price shocks and shipping disruptions.

The Nordic portion of the tour is also expected to include discussions on Arctic cooperation and climate-linked shipping routes. India operates a research station on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago and has increasingly monitored the commercial and environmental implications of melting polar sea ice.

Indian lawmaker Shashi Tharoor wrote in the Indian Express that India and Nordic nations shared interests in preserving international stability “at a time when the turbulence of the Trumpian era has unsettled global norms.”

The final stop of Modi’s tour will be Italy on May 19, where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for talks on bilateral cooperation and regional security issues.

Trump’s remarks followed a second day of talks with Xi in Beijing covering Iran, Taiwan, trade and regional security, amid mounting concern over energy supplies and maritime instability linked to the conflict.
“We’ve settled a lot of different problems that other people wouldn’t have been able to solve,” Trump told reporters after the meeting.

The White House said both leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed before the conflict — must remain open to international shipping.

Iran effectively curtailed most commercial traffic through the strategic waterway following U.S.-Israeli strikes that began on Feb. 28, triggering major disruption in global energy markets and renewed fears over supply-chain shocks.

Trump said Xi had also assured Washington that China would not provide military equipment to Tehran.
“He said he’s not going to give military equipment, that’s a big statement,” Trump said during an interview with Fox News’ “Hannity.”

China, Iran’s largest oil customer and one of its closest strategic partners, did not publicly confirm details of the discussions. However, China’s foreign ministry criticized the continuation of the war, saying the conflict “should never have happened” and had no justification to continue.

The war has become a growing political and economic challenge for the White House ahead of U.S. midterm elections later this year, with prolonged instability pushing up global energy costs and disrupting shipping routes across the Gulf.

Trump signaled increasing impatience with stalled diplomatic efforts involving Tehran.

“I am not going to be much more patient. They should make a deal,” Trump said in the televised interview.
Negotiations aimed at ending the conflict have remained deadlocked after Iran rejected demands to halt its nuclear program and surrender enriched uranium stockpiles. Tehran maintains its nuclear activities are intended for civilian purposes and denies seeking atomic weapons capability.

Trump suggested the issue of Iran’s uranium reserves was partly symbolic from Washington’s perspective.
“I just feel better if I got it,” he said, referring to the stockpile. “It’s more for public relations than it is for anything else.”

The White House said Xi expressed opposition to the militarisation of the Strait of Hormuz and rejected proposals linked to imposing tolls on shipping transiting the corridor, an idea Iranian officials have previously raised.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview from Beijing that China had strong economic incentives to help restore maritime traffic through the strait.

Analysts, however, questioned whether Beijing would significantly pressure Tehran, given Iran’s strategic value as a counterweight to U.S. influence in the Middle East.

The conflict has increasingly spilled into regional shipping lanes.

An Indian cargo vessel carrying livestock from Africa to the United Arab Emirates sank off Oman on Wednesday after reportedly being struck by a missile or drone, according to British maritime security firm Vanguard. India said all 14 crew members were rescued.

Separately, Britain’s UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that unauthorized personnel boarded a vessel anchored near the UAE port of Fujairah and redirected it toward Iranian waters.

Vanguard said the ship was believed to have been seized by Iranian personnel.

Fujairah, located outside the Strait of Hormuz on the Gulf of Oman, serves as the UAE’s only oil export terminal bypassing the narrow maritime chokepoint.
Diplomatic efforts linked to the broader regional conflict continued separately in Washington, where Lebanese and Israeli officials held talks on Thursday that a senior U.S. State Department official described as productive and positive.

Trump has said the objectives of the campaign against Iran include dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program, reducing its regional military capabilities and increasing pressure on the Iranian leadership.

Iranian state media reported on Thursday that Araqchi made the remarks after an exchange with the Emirati delegation at the BRICS gathering, where divisions over the Iran war threatened efforts to issue a joint communique.

“I didn’t name the UAE in my statement for the sake of unity,” Araqchi was quoted as saying. “But the truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country.”

Iranian media did not specify the comments made by the Emirati representative that prompted the response.

The diplomatic dispute followed the UAE’s denial this week of claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had visited the Gulf state during the ongoing Iran conflict.

Araqchi had earlier warned that countries “colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account,” remarks widely interpreted by regional analysts as directed toward Gulf states accused by Tehran of covert coordination with Israel and the United States.

The Iran war began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iranian facilities, prompting retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran against U.S. bases and other targets across Gulf countries.

Iranian officials have increasingly accused regional governments of facilitating military operations against the Islamic republic, particularly states hosting U.S. military installations.

According to Iranian state media, Araqchi argued during the BRICS meeting that reliance on U.S. military bases and security cooperation with Israel would not guarantee the UAE’s stability.

“We must live side by side in peace, and this requires peaceful relations and complete understanding between the two countries,” he said.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the UAE conducted military operations against Iran in early April. Reuters could not independently verify the report. Western and Iranian officials have also said Saudi Arabia carried out multiple unpublicized strikes against Iranian targets during the conflict.

The growing friction between Tehran and Abu Dhabi has complicated diplomatic dynamics within BRICS, the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and several recently admitted members, including Iran and the UAE.

Iranian media cited Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi as saying there were “problems and communications” within the summit process because of the UAE’s participation.

The meeting in New Delhi was expected to focus on geopolitical coordination, trade cooperation and reform of global institutions, but the Iran war increasingly overshadowed proceedings as member states struggled to reconcile competing regional interests.

The Cuban government said the meeting occurred “in a context marked by the complexity of bilateral relations” and was intended to contribute to dialogue between the two countries after months of escalating tensions.

The CIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The talks came one day after Cuba’s energy minister, Vicente de la O Levy, said the country had exhausted its reserves of diesel and fuel oil, leaving the national power grid in what he described as a “critical” condition.

“We have absolutely no fuel oil and absolutely no diesel,” Levy said on state media on Wednesday, acknowledging the country had no remaining reserves as prolonged blackouts intensified across the island.

Residents in several districts of Havana staged protests late Wednesday, chanting “turn on the lights,” banging pots and pans and setting fire to piles of rubbish as electricity outages stretched to as long as 22 hours in some areas.

Cuban authorities blamed the shortages on what they described as a U.S. blockade that has sharply restricted the island’s ability to import fuel and financing. Washington imposed additional measures targeting Cuba’s energy sector in January, further straining supplies.

In its statement, Havana reiterated that Cuba did not pose a threat to U.S. national security and rejected allegations related to foreign military or intelligence activity on the island, including claims regarding a Chinese presence.

“Havana has never supported any hostile activity against the United States, nor will it permit actions against any other nation to be carried out from Cuba,” the statement said.Relations between Washington and Havana have deteriorated significantly in recent months.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expanded sanctions on the communist-run island and publicly floated the possibility of greater U.S. control over Cuba’s affairs, while Cuban officials have accused Washington of deliberately worsening humanitarian conditions.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently renewed an offer of $100 million in aid on the condition that distribution be handled through the Catholic Church rather than the Cuban government.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in a post on X that the humanitarian situation could be alleviated more effectively if the United States eased sanctions and restrictions on the island.

“The damage could be eased in a much simpler and faster way by lifting or relaxing the blockade,” Diaz-Canel said, adding that Cuba would not obstruct humanitarian assistance if Washington demonstrated “true willingness” to provide aid.

Despite mounting tensions, diplomatic engagement between the two governments has continued. A senior-level bilateral meeting took place in Havana on April 10, marking the first landing of a U.S. government aircraft in the Cuban capital since 2016.

Trump, wrapping up meetings in Beijing before returning to Washington, described ties with China as being in “a good place” and said Xi had congratulated him on recent political and diplomatic successes during their discussions.

The optimistic rhetoric contrasted with persistent tensions between the world’s two largest economies, particularly over Taiwan and the ongoing Iran conflict, which has disrupted global energy markets and intensified geopolitical competition.

Chinese officials said Xi warned Trump during private talks that mishandling the Taiwan issue could push the two powers toward “clashes and even conflicts,” underscoring Beijing’s view that the self-ruled island remains its most sensitive sovereignty concern.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington’s policy toward Taiwan remained unchanged and cautioned Beijing against attempting to take the island by force.

“It would be a terrible mistake,” Rubio told NBC News, adding that both sides routinely reiterated their established positions during high-level engagements.
Taiwan has emerged as a growing source of friction in U.S.-China relations amid expanded American arms support for Taipei and increasing Chinese military pressure around the island.

The White House announced an $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan in December, the largest approved for the island, although deliveries have yet to begin.
Trump has also pressed Taiwan to raise defense spending and expand investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, while calling for Taipei to increase purchases of American energy exports.

China has intensified its rhetoric in recent weeks, emphasizing that Taiwan lies at the “core” of its national interests. Analysts in Taiwan said Beijing’s sharper tone reflected growing concern over deepening defense cooperation between Washington and Taipei.

Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz also featured prominently in discussions between Trump and Xi, according to U.S. officials.

Trump said both leaders agreed the strategic waterway should reopen after disruptions linked to the Iran conflict sharply reduced oil shipments and fueled volatility in global energy markets. Before the conflict erupted on Feb. 28, roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies passed through the strait.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said Xi had privately offered assistance in resolving the conflict and expressed opposition to imposing tolls on vessels crossing Hormuz.

“He’d like to see the Hormuz Strait open,” Trump said, adding that Xi indicated China could consider purchasing more U.S. oil to reduce reliance on Gulf supplies over time.

Beijing has criticized U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran but also faces economic risks from prolonged instability in the Gulf, given China’s dependence on imported energy and export-driven growth model.

Rubio said administration officials sought to persuade Chinese counterparts that resolving the conflict aligned with Beijing’s economic interests, warning that sustained turmoil could weaken global demand and harm Chinese exports.

Trade and investment were also central to the visit, with the White House signaling before Trump’s arrival that it expected concrete economic outcomes from the trip.

Trump said Xi had indicated China could purchase 200 Boeing aircraft from the United States, while both governments discussed increasing Chinese imports of U.S. agricultural products including soybeans and beef.
The two sides also explored expanding bilateral investment opportunities and establishing a joint trade board aimed at managing commercial disputes, according to the White House.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized stability and cooperation during meetings with senior American business executives accompanying Trump’s delegation, including Elon Musk, Tim Cook and Jensen Huang.

“China and the United States have been able to maintain frank and smooth dialogue and communication,” Li said, while calling for both sides to safeguard stable bilateral ties amid global uncertainty.