Dave Sherwood

Reuters reporters witnessed two small protests overnight, one in Marianao and the other in the Cuatro Caminos area of Havana.

Cuba's power-grid operator said it had restored electricity to most of the capital Havana on Monday even as Tropical Storm Oscar lashed the island's eastern end, downing trees and power lines.

The fourth such failure in 48 hours raised fresh doubts about a quick fix on an island already suffering from severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine.

In Cuba, all eyes are on the U.S. presidential election.

Tropical Storm Rafael gained steam late on Monday as it churned northward toward Cuba, which is still struggling to recover from a nationwide blackout and hurricane two weeks ago.

The hurricane is the latest blow to the country's already precarious grid and infrastructure.

Cuban authorities said they had begun restoring power to the eastern half of the island, a day after Hurricane Rafael knocked out the country's electrical grid, leaving 10 million people in the dark.

An earthquake rocked eastern Cuba on Sunday, shaking buildings in Santiago de Cuba, the island's second-largest city, and the surrounding countryside.

Cuban authorities said late on Saturday they would not tolerate "public disorder" as the island's emergency workers cleared debris and worked to restore power to parts of western Cuba still in the dark four days after the passage of Hurricane Rafael.

Cuban farmer Leonardo Abreu clambered over fallen banana plants in a field beside his home, taking stock of the wreckage two weeks after Category 3 Hurricane Rafael ripped across Cuba.