Cuba has received the first instalment of a 60,000-tonne rice donation from China, with President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirming that 15,000 tonnes docked in Havana on Saturday. The shipment comes as the Caribbean island faces severe shortages following a sharp escalation of US sanctions under President Donald Trump, including a near-total blockade on oil exports that has caused nationwide blackouts and disrupted transport and medical services. Díaz-Canel expressed gratitude to Beijing and vowed to deepen Cuba's ties with China, as Trump continues to threaten further economic and potentially military pressure in an apparent effort to force a change of government in Havana.