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Cuba’s Minister of Public Health, Jose Angel Portal Miranda, warned on Friday that the country’s healthcare system is nearing collapse, citing the impact of US sanctions on oil supplies to the island.In remarks carried by local media, Portal Miranda said Cuba’s already strained healthcare system is “approaching the brink of collapse” as a result of US restrictions on fuel shipments. He argued that the sanctions “are no longer merely paralyzing the island’s economy but are now threatening basic human safety.”The health minister noted that it is impossible to damage a country’s economy without affecting its population, warning that the situation could endanger lives, particularly as some five million people suffer from chronic illnesses and depend on regular access to medication and treatment.He pointed out that among them are 16,000 cancer patients in need of radiotherapy and 12,400 others undergoing chemotherapy, reiterating that economic pressure inevitably carries humanitarian consequences.Cuba’s healthcare system had already been grappling with long-standing shortages of supplies, personnel, and medicines amid the island’s broader economic crisis. However, the situation has worsened in recent weeks. Ambulances are struggling to secure sufficient fuel to respond to emergencies, hospitals are experiencing recurring power outages, and flights carrying vital medical supplies have been suspended. The government says it is currently unable to refuel aircraft at its airports. Experts and some international leaders have warned that Cuba may be on the verge of a humanitarian crisis if conditions continue to deteriorate. Source link
A volunteer prepares the plates of Iftar food on the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan at the Data Darbar shrine in Lahore…
U.S President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, U.S. Special Envoy Steve…
File Picture: Roosevelt Hotel in New York. (Reuters) Pakistan has agreed with the US government to jointly redevelop New York’s Roosevelt Hotel, the government in Islamabad said Thursday, allowing Islamabad to unlock value from its major overseas investment.Restructuring and privatisation of state assets are central to Pakistan’s $7bn programme agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the century-old hotel in Midtown Manhattan owned by Pakistan’s national airline plays a key role in those plans.The hotel, which the cash-strapped south Asian nation has estimated could be worth more than $1bn, has been closed since 2020 and is considered for redevelopment rather than outright sale.The two countries signed a memorandum that outlines plans to cooperate on the operation, maintenance, renovation, and redevelopment of the hotel, a statement from Pakistan’s finance division said Thursday.”The objective remains to secure maximum value for this property in alignment with the government’s privatisation strategy while strengthening Pakistan-United States economic ties,” it said.The ministry said the agreement was negotiated by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff under the leadership of President Donald Trump.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The memorandum, seen by Reuters, does not specify any financial terms and says the project “shall be facilitated by the United States General Services Administration and by the Pakistan Ministry of Defence”.The US General Services Administration primarily manages federal property and procurement for US government agencies.Islamabad has been deepening its economic ties with Washington, including US financing support for the Reko Diq copper and gold mining project in Pakistan’s Balochistan, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is currently in Washington to attend the inaugural meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace. Deal allows Islamabad to unlock value of one of its most prized overseas investments. Related Story Source link
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his blessing to Madagascar's new leader in a Kremlin meeting Thursday, as Russia seeks to expand its influence in Africa.Colonel Michael Randrianirina – Madagascar's interim leader since the former president fled in October following demonstrations – said he was counting on Russian support as his country goes through a ‘difficult period.’He travelled to Moscow on a plane chartered by Russia, weeks after the Kremlin sent military equipment to the island.Putin told Randrianirina that Madagascar was an ‘important partner’ in Africa.Moscow has sought to extend its outreach in Africa – where its Wagner paramilitary forces have been active for years and where it rivals European powers, especially France.’I would like to note that we have many interesting areas of co-operation. These include agriculture, geological exploration, energy, medicine, healthcare and education,’ Putin said.’We are ready to develop these ties in the humanitarian sphere and others,’ he added.Under massive Western sanctions since its Ukraine offensive started in 2022, Russia has sought to pivot to Asia and the so-called ‘Global South’.Randrianirina called Russia a ‘country whose support we hope will accompany Madagascar, which is currently going through a difficult period, both politically and economically’.’We are happy to be here,’ he said, adding that the visit shows the island's ‘will to reinforce cooperation with the Russian Federation.’He said that on top of cooperating in the ‘social, health and education sectors’, Madagascar is ‘ready to fully cooperate’ in the military sphere.Russian independent media has for several years reported that the Wagner military group sought to expand its activity in Madagascar.Last month, Russian military instructors visited Madagascar to train their counterparts in military equipment supplied by Moscow, including drones.Putin also expressed condolences to the army colonel over a recent cyclone on the island, that killed at least 40 people this month.Russia was the third country Randrianirina went to since coming to power, having visited United Arab Emirates and South Africa before.All of those visits came before going to Madagascar's ex-colonial ruler France, where Randrianirina is due later this month. Source link
US President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony at the inaugural meeting of the ‘Board of Peace’ in Washington, DC. Around two dozen world leaders…
Workers load fresh oil palm fruit bunches from Melati Hanjalipan cooperative palm oil plantation in Hanjalipan village, East Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan province, Indonesia. (Reuters/File Photo) Palm oil and other commodities exemptDeal to facilitate US investment in Indonesian critical mineralsIndonesia and the United States finalised a trade deal to cut US levies to 19% from 32% on goods shipped from southeast Asia’s biggest economy, with Jakarta securing tariff exemptions for its top export, palm oil, and several other commodities.The agreement was signed in Washington by Indonesia’s senior economic minister Airlangga Hartarto and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer after months of negotiations.”This deal respects the sovereignty of both countries,” Airlangga said during an online press conference, describing the deal as a “win-win” for both countries.Palm oil was a particularly important exemption, accounting for around 9% of Indonesia’s overall exports.Indonesian coffee, cocoa, rubber and spices would also be tariff-free, Airlangga said.The 19% rate is on par with US deals with southeast Asian rivals such as Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines. Vietnam, however, has a slightly higher rate of 20%.Malaysia, another major exporter of palm oil, also has a tariff exemption for that product, as well as for cocoa and rubber.The deal comes after a rough start to the year for Indonesian markets. Setbacks include last month’s warning from index provider MSCI that the equity market risked a downgrade to “frontier” status over transparency issues, as well as Moody’s cutting of the country’s credit rating outlook two weeks ago that cited reduced predictability in policy making.Investor confidence in Indonesia could improve if Jakarta uses the US deal as a springboard for further reform, said Yose Rizal Damuri, executive director of CSIS Indonesia.”If Indonesia could multilateralise some of its commitments to the United States and use them as a basis for deregulation, that would increase trust in Indonesia and that’s something that should be taken advantage of, optimised,” he added.Under the deal, textile products from Indonesia will be subject to a 0% levy under a quota mechanism that is still to be discussed. The quota will be determined by the quantity of US materials such as cotton and man-made fibre used in textiles.The US dropped requests to add non-economic provisions to the deal, including those related to nuclear reactor development and the South China Sea, Airlangga said.In return, Indonesia will remove tariff barriers on most US products across all sectors and address a range of non-tariff barriers such as local content requirements, according to a White House fact sheet.It will also accept US product standards on vehicle safety, emissions, medical devices and pharmaceuticals.The deal also appears to take aim at what analysts have said are concerns in Washington about China’s stranglehold on many critical minerals and the offshoring of Chinese companies’ operations to countries like Indonesia.Under the agreement, Indonesia will implement restrictions on ‘excess production’ by foreign-owned mineral processing facilities by ensuring production conforms to Indonesian mining quotas. Such minerals include nickel, cobalt, bauxite, copper and manganese.Jakarta has also agreed to take action against companies owned or controlled by foreign countries operating within its jurisdiction when their practices harm US trade interests.And Indonesia will facilitate US investment in critical minerals and energy resources as well as cooperate with US companies on expediting development of its rare-earth sector.The deal is due to take effect 90 days after both sides complete related legal procedures, Airlangga said, adding that changes could still occur if both sides agree.President Prabowo Subianto has travelled to Washington for the deal and to attend the first leaders’ meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.Prabowo and Trump yesterday signed a document titled “Implementation of the Agreement Toward a NEW GOLDEN AGE for the US-Indonesian Alliance” which the White House said would help both countries to strengthen economic security and growth.Earlier this week, Indonesian and US companies signed deals worth $38.4bn. …
A new banner depicting US President Donald Trump is hung on the Department of Justice building in Washington, DC. – Reuters A banner of US President Donald Trump has been unfurled outside the headquarters of the Justice Department (DOJ) in the latest effort to stamp his identity on a Washington institution.The blue banner unfurled on Thursday between two columns in a corner of the agency’s headquarters includes the slogan: “Make America Safe Again.”Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has moved aggressively to imprint his image and influence on federal institutions.He has reshaped cultural and policy bodies by installing loyalists, renamed prominent institutions, and sidelined officials linked to past probes, steps critics say blur the lines between political power and traditionally independent government functions.Banners bearing Trump’s image were affixed last year to the Department of Labour, the Department of Agriculture and the US Institute for Peace buildings.A board of directors appointed by the president voted in December to add Trump’s name to the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts.Trump’s name was also affixed last year to the US Institute of Peace building in Washington.The White House referred questions about the latest banner to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.In a statement cited by NBC News, a DOJ spokesperson said the department was “proud” to celebrate its “historic work to make America safe again at President Trump’s direction”.In 2023, former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith secured indictments accusing Trump of illegally retaining classified documents following his first term in office and of plotting to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election.Trump falsely claimed that he won the 2020 election.His supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the Congress from certifying the results of that election.After taking office for a second time in January 2025, Trump pardoned the rioters.Trump denied wrongdoing in the cases against him, calling them politically motivated.Smith dropped both cases against the Republican after Trump won the 2024 election, citing a Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.Smith resigned from the Justice Department days before Trump returned to the White House early last year.The Trump administration’s Justice Department has since targeted and fired many officials involved in probes against the Republican leader. Source link
Quentin Griffiths, who co-founded British fast-fashion retailer ASOS, has died after a fall from a balcony in Thailand, Thai police said .Police told Reuters that Griffiths, 58, had fallen from the 17th floor of an apartment block in the seaside resort city of Pattaya on February 9.The police went to the scene and found the body of a British national, whom they identified as Quentin John Griffiths, on the ground directly below the balcony, they said.Police said initial investigations suggested suicide, and there were no indications of foul play. CCTV showed no sign of anybody entering his apartment, where he had lived alone, but his body has been sent for an autopsy, they added.The police also quoted a Thai friend of Griffiths as saying the Briton had been worried about lawsuits from his former wife, a Thai national.Documents related to those lawsuits were found in his apartment, the police said.When asked about Griffiths, Britain’s foreign office said it was supporting “the family of a British national who has died in Thailand” and was in touch with the local authorities.Griffiths’ case did not initially attract media attention in Pattaya, which has a large contingent of foreign residents, until The Sun newspaper in Britain reported it on Thursday.Griffiths co-founded ASOS, then known as ‘As Seen on Screen’ with Nick Robertson, a former advertising executive and great-grandson of tailor Austin Reed, in 2000, and floated it on London’s Alternative Investment Market in 2001.The company defied the wave of failures that hit other web-based companies after the Internet bubble burst and emerged as a standout success in the British retail scene.ASOS expanded rapidly into new countries, broadening its offer of both own-brand and third-party products, and moved quickly to capitalise on the rise of social media.Griffiths was marketing director at ASOS before he left the firm in 2004. He remained a large shareholder in ASOS for nearly another decade.In recent years, the online retailer has struggled with profitability against a backdrop of rising costs and stiffer competition from cheaper Chinese rivals.Shares of the company, whose own-label creations have been worn by the likes of Michelle Obama and Catherine, Princess of Wales, have slid around 96% from their peak value. Source link
The US Supreme Court has ruled Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs illegal – a stunning rebuke of the president’s signature economic policy that upended international trade.The conservative-majority high court ruled six-three in the judgment, saying that a 1977 law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that Trump has relied on “does not authorise the President to impose tariffs”.The ruling does not impact sector-specific duties Trump separately imposed on imports of steel, aluminum and various other goods.Several government probes which could lead to more sectoral tariffs remain in the works.Still, this marks Trump’s biggest defeat at the Supreme Court since returning to the White House last year. This picture taken in April last year shows Trump holding a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose…