TRUMP OFFICIALS TRADE BARBS WITH CUBA AS AMERICAN SANCTIONS CONTINUE TO BATTER CARIBBEAN NATION

What happened: US and Cuban officials traded accusations at the United Nations after US diplomats hosted an event with Cuban dissidents, ahead of the annual UN vote on a resolution to end the US embargo. Key numbers: Vote expected October 27-28. Embargo in place more than 60 years. Resolution has passed by wide margins each year since 1992. Why it matters: The vote can carry political weight, but only the US Congress can lift the embargo. Cuba blames US sanctions for shortages, infrastructure failures and inflation, and also faces a US oil blockade.

US and Cuban officials traded accusations at the United Nations after US diplomats hosted an event with Cuban dissidents, ahead of the annual UN vote on a resolution to end the US embargo.

The vote can carry political weight, but only the US Congress can lift the embargo. Cuba blames US sanctions for shortages, infrastructure failures and inflation, and also faces a US oil blockade.