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Cuba to Protect Essential Services as US Moves to Cut Off Oil Supply

People wait for transportation as Cubans brace for fuel scarcity measures after US tightens oil supply blockade, in Havana, Cuba, February 6, 2026. (Reuters)
People wait for transportation as Cubans brace for fuel scarcity measures after US tightens oil supply blockade, in Havana, Cuba, February 6, 2026. (Reuters)
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Cuba to Protect Essential Services as US Moves to Cut Off Oil Supply

People wait for transportation as Cubans brace for fuel scarcity measures after US tightens oil supply blockade, in Havana, Cuba, February 6, 2026. (Reuters)
People wait for transportation as Cubans brace for fuel scarcity measures after US tightens oil supply blockade, in Havana, Cuba, February 6, 2026. (Reuters)

Cuba detailed a wide-ranging plan on Friday to protect essential services and ration fuel as the communist-run government dug in its heels in defiance of a US effort to cut off oil supply to the Caribbean island.

The rationing measures are the first to be announced since President Donald Trump threatened to slap tariffs on the US-bound products of any country exporting fuel to Cuba and suggested hard times ahead for Cubans already suffering severe shortages of food, fuel ‌and medicine.

Government ‌ministers said the measures would guarantee ‌fuel supply ⁠for key sectors, ‌including agricultural production, education, water supply, healthcare and defense.

Commerce Minister Oscar Perez-Oliva struck a defiant tone as he laid out details of the government plan.

"This is an opportunity and a challenge that we have no doubt we will overcome," Perez-Oliva told a television news program. "We are not going to collapse."

The government will supply fuel to the ⁠tourism and export sectors, including for the production of Cuba's world-famous cigars, to ensure ‌the foreign exchange necessary to fund other basic ‍programs, Perez-Oliva said, adding, "If we ‍don't have income, then we will not overcome this situation."

Domestic ‍and international air travel will not be immediately affected by the fuel rationing, although drivers will see cutbacks at the pump until supply normalizes, he said.

The government said it would protect ports and ensure fuel for domestic transportation in a bid to protect the island nation's import and export sectors.

Perez-Oliva also announced an ambitious ⁠plan to plant 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) of rice to guarantee "an important part of our demand," but acknowledged fuel shortfalls would push the country to depend more on renewable energy for irrigation needs and animal-power for tilling fields.

Education Minister Naima Ariatne, appearing on the same program, said infant-care centers and primary schools would remain open and in person, but secondary schools and higher education would implement a hybrid system that would require more "flexibility" and vary by institution and region.

"As a priority, we want to leave (open) our primary schools," Ariatne said.

Top officials said ‌health care would also be prioritized, with special emphasis on emergency services, maternity wards and cancer programs.

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Algeria to Deploy Army Units to Niger to Protect Energy and Economic Interests

People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
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Algeria to Deploy Army Units to Niger to Protect Energy and Economic Interests

People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
People walk past Algerian flags outside the parliament building in Algeria, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)

Algeria will send army units to Niger to protect energy and economic interests, according to a statement from the presidency on Monday, marking Algeria's first foreign troop deployment since it sent forces to support Egypt in the 1973 war.

Algeria's parliament approved a resolution on Sunday authorizing ‌the deployment ‌of National Army units ‌to ⁠Madama in northern Niger, near ⁠the Libyan border.

The presidential statement did not say when the troops will be sent or how many there would be.

Military officers have ruled Niger, a nation rich ⁠in uranium, oil and gold resources, ‌since the ‌July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, ‌which Algeria opposed.

Relations worsened last ‌year, when Niger recalled its ambassador from Algiers after Algeria shot down a Malian drone near their border.

Algeria's interests in Niger ‌are mainly in energy. Its state-run Sonatrach is working with ⁠Niger ⁠and Nigeria on the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, which is intended to create a new export corridor for African gas to international markets, particularly Europe.

Niger is battling insurgents linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. The fighting has killed thousands and displaced millions across West Africa's central Sahel region over the past decade.

World

France's Macron to Visit Marseille after Protest Violence

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
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France's Macron to Visit Marseille after Protest Violence

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's protests was more 'positive' than a week ago. Sylvain THOMAS / AFP

The French government sought to draw a line Monday under weeks of protests that have been marred by violence, with President Emmanuel Macron headed to Marseille and the prime minister to meet with students demanding better school conditions.

France has been rocked by widespread anger over the rising cost of living, with nationwide demonstrations on October 17 degenerating into some of the country's worst rioting in years.

The demonstrations have come at a critical moment for France, six months ahead of a presidential election to replace centrist Macron.

The frontrunner -- far-right leader Marine le Pen -- held an election rally in Orleans Sunday, a day after yet more demonstrations also saw some violent clashes on the sidelines.

She vowed to "restore the rule of law" if elected next year. Polls show the protests and ensuing disorder have boosted her support, as the government and Macron faced sharp criticism over the unrest.

Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that paved the way for the clashes, large-scale looting and vandalism of public property that erupted on October 17, and had stepped up security for Saturday's protests.

While Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the outcome of Saturday's rallies was more "positive" than a week ago, street violence still erupted in the French capital and a number of other cities including Marseille.

The Elysee said Macron would visit the city hall in Marseille, France's second-largest city, on Monday, after it was damaged in the protest violence on October 17.

He was also due to meet shopkeepers who had fallen victim to looting and vandalism, the Elysee said.

"He will also pay tribute to and thank the internal security forces that helped restore republican order," the presidency said.

After this weekend's protests, many shopfronts in the city center were still boarded up early Monday, just hours before Macron's arrival.

Macron's visit was intended to demonstrate that "the state is present, standing firm and fulfilling its mission to protect," an aide said.

- 'High level of violence' -

A total of 1,435 people were arrested on the sidelines of the most recent weekend protests, Nunez said on Monday.

"The day was brought under control and there were no serious incidents," he told broadcaster BFMTV.

"Nevertheless, we saw a very high level of violence directed at the internal security forces," Nunez added.

He said that 267 police officers and gendarmes were injured, along with 150 protesters, including three who were seriously hurt in Toulouse, Reims and Clermont-Ferrand.

The unrest followed weeks of demonstrations by students campaigning for better learning conditions.

Several teenage protesters have been seriously injured and thousands arrested.

The police response to their demonstrations, which included blockades of schools, has been criticized as heavy-handed and sparked a broader movement against the cost of living and police violence.

In Paris on Monday, Lecornu was to meet student leaders, with National Education Minister Edouard Geffray and Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste joining him for the talks. Following that meeting, Geffray and Baptiste will hold a news conference.

Macron already met representatives of secondary school pupils last Friday, but they emerged from the talks urging students to keep protesting until the government put forward concrete proposals to address their demands.

On top of the protests, the country was last week shaken by a shooting that killed one person and wounded five, including a 12-year-old girl, outside Paris.

Macron has branded the shooting a "racist terrorist attack", as most of the victims were from foreign backgrounds.

World

Bangladesh Measles Crisis 'Warning Sign' of Other Outbreaks

A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
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Bangladesh Measles Crisis 'Warning Sign' of Other Outbreaks

A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP
A child receives treatment for measles at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute in Dhaka on September 3. Salahuddin Ahmed / AFP

Experts have warned Bangladesh that deadly outbreaks of diphtheria, whooping cough and polio could follow an ongoing measles epidemic that has already killed over 1,200 children, according to a report seen by AFP on Monday.

"The measles outbreak is a litmus test and a warning sign of a deteriorating immunization system," said the report by an independent committee of national and international experts, which carried out its research earlier in October.

Bangladesh has struggled since March to contain the outbreak, which has killed more than 1,200 children and infected 220,000 people, making it the country's deadliest in decades, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

"If no urgent mitigation measures are taken, it is only a matter of time before there are large outbreaks of pertussis (whooping cough), diphtheria and even vaccine-derived poliovirus," added the report, which has been submitted to the government.

The health ministry pledged action on Monday.

"We are going to recruit vaccinators as quickly as possible as the first step towards implementing the recommendations," spokesman Zahid Raihan told AFP.

The government, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the Gavi vaccine alliance and other partners, deployed a 70-member team earlier this month to assess the country's immunization program.

The review found that just 82 percent of children were fully immunized, well below the national target of 95 percent. Around 40 percent of vaccinator posts remain vacant.

Bangladesh was long considered an immunization success story. Since its program began in 1979, the country has eliminated polio and neonatal tetanus and controlled rubella and hepatitis B.

A measles vaccination campaign planned for 2024 was delayed by the revolution that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, while strikes and political instability further disrupted a campaign in 2025.

Authorities have since launched a mass vaccination drive, but cases continue to climb.

Measles spreads easily through coughs and sneezes and has no specific treatment. Complications include brain swelling and severe breathing problems, with young children particularly vulnerable.

Whooping cough can cause severe illness and death in infants. Diphtheria can obstruct breathing and damage the heart and nerves, while vaccine-derived poliovirus can cause paralysis in under-immunized populations.