News
Cuba Slams New US Sanctions as ‘Economic Warfare,’ Warns of Deepening Humanitarian Crisis
Cuba Slams New US Sanctions as ‘Economic Warfare,’ Warns of Deepening Humanitarian Crisis
By: Michael Mike
The government of Cuba has accused the United States of escalating economic warfare against the island nation following a sweeping new executive order and fresh sanctions that Havana says could worsen an already severe humanitarian and economic crisis.
In a strongly worded statement issued Thursday in Havana, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the May 1, 2026 Executive Order signed by the White House, describing it as one of the harshest measures imposed against the communist nation in decades.
The Cuban government also denounced a subsequent decision by the United States Treasury Department on May 7 to place Cuban conglomerate Gaesa and mining company MoaNickel S.A. on the List of Specially Designated Nationals, effectively cutting them off from the American financial system and exposing foreign businesses dealing with them to possible secondary sanctions.
Havana described the move as a “ruthless act of economic aggression” aimed at tightening the long-standing United States blockade against Cuba and isolating the country from global trade and financial networks.
According to Cuban authorities, the latest measures threaten to deepen the island’s economic hardship at a time when the country is already battling chronic shortages of fuel, food, medicine and foreign exchange.
The Foreign Ministry argued that the sanctions go beyond bilateral relations between Washington and Havana by attempting to punish foreign companies, banks and governments that maintain economic ties with Cuba.
“The sovereign right of all states that have or wish to maintain economic, commercial and financial relations with Cuba is being explicitly attacked,” the statement declared.
Cuba accused senior United States officials, particularly the Secretary of State, of using intimidation and political pressure to force the international community into compliance with the blockade policy.
The statement further alleged that the new measures were intended to provoke economic collapse and social unrest within Cuba.
Havana warned that worsening economic pressure could create conditions for instability and potentially serve as justification for more aggressive actions against the island.
The Cuban government also accused Washington of attempting to manufacture a humanitarian crisis capable of triggering political upheaval.
The latest confrontation marks another sharp downturn in relations between the two Cold War-era adversaries whose ties have fluctuated between cautious engagement and hostility over the last six decades.
The United States first imposed trade restrictions on Cuba in the early 1960s following the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro and the subsequent nationalisation of American-owned assets on the island. Relations deteriorated rapidly after Cuba aligned itself with the former Soviet Union during the Cold War.
In 1962, Washington formalised a broad economic embargo against Cuba, arguing that the measures were necessary to pressure Havana toward democratic reforms and respect for human rights.
Over the decades, the sanctions evolved into one of the world’s longest-running economic blockade regimes, affecting trade, banking, investment and travel.
Although there were signs of rapprochement during the administration of former President Barack Obama — including the restoration of diplomatic relations and the easing of some restrictions — many sanctions were later reinstated and expanded under subsequent administrations.
In recent years, Cuba has faced mounting economic difficulties caused by declining tourism revenues, inflation, fuel shortages and limited access to international credit markets.
The Cuban government has consistently blamed the United States embargo for worsening living conditions on the island, while Washington maintains that Havana’s centrally controlled political and economic system is primarily responsible for the country’s struggles.
The renewed sanctions are expected to intensify debates within the international community, where many countries and global organisations have repeatedly called for an end to the embargo.
For more than 30 consecutive years, the United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted in favour of resolutions urging the United States to lift its economic blockade against Cuba, describing the measures as harmful to ordinary citizens and contrary to international law.
Despite the growing pressure, both governments remain firmly entrenched in their positions, raising fears that tensions between Havana and Washington may continue to escalate in the coming months.
Cuba Slams New US Sanctions as ‘Economic Warfare,’ Warns of Deepening Humanitarian Crisis
News
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
By Aisha Gambo
The Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE) has commended the Kaduna State Executive Council for approving the Kaduna State Life Skills Policy and the State Policy on Gender in Education (SPGE 2026–2030).
The Executive Director of the organisation, Habiba Mohammed, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna.
She said the approval marked a transition from donor-supported, time-bound interventions to a sustainable, government-led framework for delivering life skills education and promoting gender equity in schools.
According to her, the Life Skills Policy will equip young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to succeed in education, employment and life, while the Gender in Education Policy providzbves a framework to promote equity, inclusion, participation, retention, completion and improved learning outcomes.
“The approval moves life skills and gender equity from the margins of the classroom into the core of Kaduna State’s education system,” she said.
Mohammed said CGE contributed to the development and validation of the policies through its system-strengthening project supported by Co-Impact, OASIS Initiative and the Malala Fund, in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Education.
She said the policies built on more than 18 years of the organisation’s Safe Space model, which independent evaluations showed had helped reduce child marriage, increase school enrolment and delay early marriage.
According to her, the AGILE programme in Kaduna has reached more than 127,319 girls and 6,250 boys between the ages of 14 and 18, while over 1,400 female and male teachers have been trained as mentors.
She added that institutionalising the model through public policy would ensure that life skills education became a permanent component of the state’s education system.
Mohammed said the policies would address barriers to school access, retention and completion, particularly for girls and other vulnerable learners.
She added that they would also institutionalise life skills as a co-curricular programme, strengthen evidence-based decision-making across the state’s 23 local government areas and guarantee continuity beyond donor-funded programmes.
The executive director commended Gov. Uba Sani for providing the leadership that made the policy approval possible.
She also appreciated the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, the AGILE State Project Implementation Unit, the World Bank and other stakeholders for their contributions to the process.
Mohammed reaffirmed CGE’s commitment to supporting the Kaduna State Government with technical assistance during the implementation phase, including teacher training, gender-responsive education sector budgeting and monitoring.
She said the ultimate goal was to ensure that every girl and boy in Kaduna State had the opportunity to learn, develop and thrive.
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
News
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
By: Zagazola Makama
Six fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were reportedly killed and seven others seriously wounded during a failed attack on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Logomani in Borno State, credible intelligence sources have disclosed.
The sources told Zagazola Makama that the terrorists launched the attack on the military position in the early hours of July 7 but suffered significant casualties after troops mounted a fierce resistance.
According to the intelligence assessment, the attackers had assembled at Garal before advancing on the military base.
Following the failed assault, surviving insurgents were reportedly seen regrouping at Chukun Gudu, where they buried six of their fighters killed during the encounter.
Among those reportedly buried was a senior fighter identified as Munzir, also known as Ba Alayi, who was said to be an indigene of Wulgo.
The development comes as troops of Operation HADIN KAI continue sustained clearance operations aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and disrupting insurgents’ logistics and mobility across the Lake Chad region.
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
Health
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
By: Zagazola Makama
A cholera outbreak has reportedly claimed the lives of nine fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorist stronghold in Borno State, intelligence sources have disclosed.
The sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the outbreak had spread through the group’s enclaves, highlighting deteriorating sanitary conditions and limited access to medical care within the insurgents’ camps.
According to the intelligence, two additional ISWAP fighters infected with the disease were allegedly executed by fellow terrorists after attempts to manage their condition at Kimba village proved unsuccessful.
The sources said the development pointed to the worsening health conditions within the terrorist hideouts, where sustained military pressure has disrupted logistics, including access to medicines and treatment facilities.
The sources added that commanders had also been urged to intensify efforts to intercept medical supplies and pharmaceuticals intended for terrorist camps in order to further degrade ISWAP’s treatment capability and operational resilience.
The reported outbreak comes amid sustained offensives by troops of Operation HADIN KAI, who continue to target terrorist enclaves and logistics networks across the Lake Chad region in a bid to degrade the insurgents’ fighting capacity.
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
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