International

Cuba will denounce the impact of the US embargo before the UN General Assembly

The Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez, will attend the high-level debates of the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations where he will “denounce” the impact of the economic embargo imposed by the United States, the Cuban Foreign Ministry reported on Friday.

Rodríguez said in X that he will denounce “the impact of the US blockade (economic embargo) against Cuba and we will promote multilateralism, peace and sustainable development for all.”

The agenda of the Cuban foreign minister at the UN also includes his participation in the Summit of the Future and a meeting with Cubans – related to the Government – living in the United States, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The Cuban head of Foreign Affairs is accompanied by Vice Chancellors Anayansi Rodríguez and Carlos Fernández de Cossío and the general director of Consular Affairs and Cuban Residents Abroad, Ana Teresita González, among other officials.

More than a hundred heads of state and government will attend the annual meeting of the organization that will take place on September 22 and 23 and will analyze issues related to the 2030 Agenda and other issues in New York – headquarters of the international organization.

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The General Assembly, established in 1945 under the Charter of the United Nations, is the main organ of deliberation, policy adoption and representation of the United Nations, according to the UN website.

The annual report on the blockade (embargo), presented last week, is the documentary basis of the resolution that Havana has presented each year for more than three decades against these sanctions before the United Nations General Assembly, and which has a majority support of its members.

According to the official estimate, the impact between March 2023 and February of this year was higher by 189.8 million dollars than in the previous twelve months.

The total after more than 60 years of sanctions amounts to more than 164,141 million dollars at current prices, says Havana.

The island government argues that, without US sanctions, the island would have achieved a growth in its gross domestic product (GDP) “at current prices” of 8% in 2023, in contrast to the 1.9% drop with which it closed last year, according to official figures.

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Cuba has been immersed in a serious economic crisis for more than four years and its government mainly accuses US sanctions of this situation.

The aggravation of the structural imbalances of the Cuban economy are also significantly influenced by the consequences of the pandemic and certain economic and monetary policy decisions of the Cuban Government, they have acknowledged.

International

Gates Foundation to close by 2045 as Bill Gates pledges to donate $200 Billion

When Bill and Melinda French Gates established the Gates Foundation in 2000, they envisioned an organization that would continue its work for decades after their deaths. But now, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates says he doesn’t want to wait that long to give away most of his fortune.

On Thursday, Gates announced that he plans to donate “virtually all” of his estimated $200 billion fortune over the next 20 years and will dissolve the foundation on December 31, 2045.

The announcement comes amid deep cuts by the Trump administration to funding for health, foreign aid, and public assistance programs — the very causes the Gates Foundation supports. The shift raises concerns about setbacks in global health research and critical development initiatives.

Gates says he wants to accelerate the foundation’s work in global health and equity, and hopes the move will inspire other billionaires to follow suit. In a blog post published Thursday morning, he emphasized that the foundation’s final phase should serve as a model for large-scale philanthropic impact.

This new pledge builds on Gates’s long-standing commitment to philanthropy. Alongside French Gates and Warren Buffett, he co-founded the Giving Pledge in 2010, which encourages billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth either during their lifetimes or in their wills. The campaign now has more than 240 signatories worldwide.

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International

Bill Gates accuses Elon Musk of endangering the world’s poorest children

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft turned global health philanthropist, sharply criticized Elon Musk in a recent interview with The New York Times, saying the tech billionaire is “the richest man in the world and is involved in the deaths of the world’s poorest children.”

At 69, Gates announced that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will cease operations by 2045, and he urged the next generation of billionaires to step up. However, he expressed concern that today’s wealthy individuals are less committed to humanitarian work than they were two decades ago.

He cited Elon Musk as a prime example: “He’s the one who cut the USAID budget. He shredded it — all because he didn’t attend some party that weekend.”

Gates argued that Musk “could have been a great philanthropist,” but instead, “the richest man in the world is now contributing to the deaths of the world’s poorest children.” He pointed to how cuts to USAID have disrupted essential programs fighting HIV, malaria, and polio.

Gates called on the global elite to do more: “It’s not that we’re running out of rich people. There will be more, and they’ll reflect on what AI has done — or hasn’t — and what governments have done — or haven’t.”

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Looking ahead, he urged future billionaires to commit to greater philanthropy, especially as his own foundation phases out: “The rich of today should do more. The rich twenty years from now should do more.”

Despite his criticisms, Gates maintained his trademark optimism. He dismissed fears that repeated U.S. administrations will continue cutting humanitarian budgets: “I don’t think there will be administration after administration slashing these things. If we look 20 years ahead, I believe we’ll continue reducing child mortality.”

Gates also expressed faith in artificial intelligence, suggesting it can provide medical expertise in remote regions on par with doctors with decades of experience — potentially even better than what’s available in wealthy countries.

International

VP JD Vance to World Cup visitors: “Enjoy the game, then go home”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance issued a light-hearted but firm warning to international visitors planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“We know we’ll have visitors, probably from close to a hundred countries. We want them to come. We want them to celebrate. We want them to enjoy the games,” said Vance during a press conference on Tuesday focused on the organization of upcoming major sporting events in the U.S.

“But when it’s over, they’ll have to go home,” he added.

Vance, speaking in a joking tone, also mentioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying, “Otherwise, they’ll have to speak with Secretary Noem.”

The comment came during the first joint working session aimed at preparing for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 national teams and take place across multiple cities in North America.