WorldUNITED NATIONS, REUTERS -The United States on Wednesday abstained for the first time from a United Nations General Assembly vote on a resolution calling for an end to a U.S. economic embargo on Cuba, after opposing such measures every year for 24 years. Communist-run Cuba and the United States, former Cold War foes, began normalizing relations in 2014. U.S. President Barack Obama has taken steps to ease trade and travel restrictions on Cuba, but only the U.S. Congress can lift the full embargo. The Republican-controlled Congress has resisted Obama's call to lift Washington's economic embargo after more than 50 years. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power announced prior to the vote that the United States would abstain.

Source: Sunday Times October 26, 2016 16:52 UTC