On Wednesday, the U.S. will sit out the annual United Nations vote on a resolution urging America to end its economic embargo against Cuba. This will mark the first time in the resolution's 24 years of existence that the U.S. has abstained from voting; last year, only the U.S. and Israel voted against the measure.
The decision to abstain, announced by Obama administration officials, will "effectively pit the Obama administration and Cuba with the world body against the Republican-led Congress," The Associated Press reported. Though the U.S. has resumed full diplomatic relations with Cuba, congressional Republicans are in favor of maintaining the 55-year-old embargo.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia Hotel: a foodie haven in Portugal's Douro ValleyThe Week Recommends Luxury city hotel with food from a Michelin-starred chef – and plenty of port
-
A zombie volcano is coming back to life, but there is no need to worry just yetUnder the radar Uturuncu's seismic activity is the result of a hydrothermal system
-
Codeword: May 12, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirementspeed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff displaySpeed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loomSpeed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panelsSpeed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of businessSpeed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pausesSpeed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocksSpeed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor dealSpeed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
