The United States has announced fresh economic sanctions on Cuba’s president and some of his immediate family, alongside members of the Castro family, in Washington’s latest ramping up of pressure on its communist-led neighbour.

Among those targeted were the son and a grandson of former president Raúl Castro, who no longer holds an official position but remains a key figure on decisions about the future of the island.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel, his wife and stepson were also hit by the latest Treasury department sanctions issued on Thursday, as was the ministry of the revolutionary armed forces and several other entities.

UN report says global meat supply has risen fourfold in last 60 years and is expected to keep rising

The average person eats about six times as much chicken and twice as much pork as their grandparents’ generation did, data from a UN report suggests, with global meat supply having risen fourfold in the last 60 years and expected to keep rising.

The supply of poultry rose from below 3kg a person in 1961 to 17kg in 2022, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Pork supply doubled to 15kg a person over the same period, while beef, the most polluting food, stayed steady at 9kg.

Agriculture is the second most polluting sector of the global economy. Its planet-heating emissions are forecast to rise by 7.6% over the next decade, according to the FAO’s review of the science on the drivers of meat supply and demand, with livestock responsible for an estimated 80% of the increase.

Blanche, whom Trump plans to nominate to replace ex-attorney general, served as Bondi’s deputy at DoJ

Former attorney general Pam Bondi told lawmakers that Todd Blanche, the man Donald Trump has lined up to replace her, was “in charge” of the US Department of Justice’s controversial handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Appearing before the House oversight and reform committee, which is investigating the late financier and convicted sex offender, Bondi also said she was “not certain of the extent” that Trump knew about the crimes of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Epstein who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex-trafficking crimes, before they became public.

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, claimed in a statement on Thursday that Trump had been “totally exonerated on anything relating to Epstein” when contacted for comment on Bondi’s testimony.

About 65% of U.S. adults believe same-sex marriage should be legal, down slightly from 71% in 2022 and 2023, according to a new Gallup poll.

Acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has flattened after more than two decades of steadily increasing support, with an ongoing decline among Republicans, according to a new Gallup poll.

About 65% of U.S. adults believe same-sex marriage should be legal, down slightly from 71% in 2022 and 2023.

Most of the change is due to dropping acceptance among Republicans. In the new survey, which was conducted in May, only 37% of Republicans say same-sex marriage should be legally valid, while 35% say gay and lesbian relations are “morally acceptable.”

The views of Democrats and independents are largely stable in the findings released Wednesday, with most in both groups saying same-sex marriage should be legal and that gay or lesbian relations are moral.

Idaho health officials are investigating how nearly 60 people got sick after drinking raw milk in the past two weeks.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced in a news release on Wednesday that most of the people reported being sick after drinking raw milk from two different milking operations in North Idaho and southern Idaho. The infections were reported starting May 19.

The state health agency didn't disclose the names of the dairies, but said they are collaborating with health officials "to identify and fix any potential sources of contamination."

Defense secretary’s latest interposition resulted in all-male, overwhelmingly white picks for promotion to admiralty

The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, stripped nine navy officers including women and Black service members from a promotion list last month, according to a person familiar with the matter, resulting in an all-male, overwhelmingly white slate of 22 advancing as nominees to become one-star admirals.

Hegseth’s unusual intervention violated promotion rules designed to be merit-based and apolitical, the New York Times said on Tuesday, and extended the Trump administration’s push to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the military.

The original promotion list included three women and two Black officers in addition to the two who remained, the newspaper said.

The United States is planning to impose a 12.5 per cent tariff on goods from Australia, alleging the country has failed to take action to prevent slavery and forced labour.

Anthony Albanese says any tariff on Australian exports to the US is "unjustified and inconsistent" with the free trade agreements between the two allies.

Former Australian ambassador to the US Joe Hockey says Donald Trump is convinced that tariffs are beneficial to the US.

Beijing says it is barring a group of New Zealand lawmakers from entering China for having visited Taiwan in May. It is the first time such a ban has been imposed on politicians from New Zealand.

The American investor and son-in-law of Donald Trump has sparked a major backlash in Tirana thanks to his proposed mega building project.

The flamingo has become an unlikely mascot of intensifying protests in Albania against a proposed resort backed by Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, which would encroach on the birds’ breeding ground.

On Tirana’s main boulevard, thousands of protesters gathered Wednesday for the fourth night of large-scale protests against the development. The crowd brandished Albanian flags, placards with quirky slogans and large, flamingo-shaped cardboard cut-outs on sticks.

“Albania is not for sale,” one sign said. “Where will they live now?” another read, accompanied by an image of the pink wading bird.

Now, eight years after Donald Trump’s forcible border separations came to an official halt following global outrage, an Associated Press investigation has found that the government has re-separated dozens of children from their families, despite a landmark legal settlement meant to keep them together.

Some of their parents have been locked in immigration detention facilities for months, others deported back to their home countries after being taken from their families once again.

In some cases, immigration officials conducting interior arrests deported people despite discovering they were legally off limits for removal, according to emails obtained by AP.

Fears that push for ballroom spending could jeopardize $70bn funding for immigration enforcement

Senate Republicans on Wednesday formally dropped their attempt to spend $1bn on security improvements for Donald Trump’s White House ballroom, as it became clear the president’s demand for the money could jeopardize long-term funding for immigration enforcement.

The Senate judiciary committee had last month included funding for security improvements related to the new ballroom in a broader measure that would authorize $70bn in spending for agencies involved in Trump’s mass deportation campaign through the duration of his term.

On Wednesday, the committee released a revised text that no longer mentioned the money, which was included in legislation dubbed the Secure America Act that advanced on a party-line vote of 53-46 later that afternoon.

Stunning rebuke to president as lawmakers vote 215-208 for measure forcing him to seek congressional approval

The US House of Representatives delivered a stunning rebuke to Donald Trump over his war on Iran on Wednesday, as representatives backed a move to force him to seek approval from Congress or withdraw US forces.

The House voted 215 to 208 in favor of the war powers resolution, as four Republicans voted with Democrats.

Wednesday’s vote came nearly two weeks after House Republicans cancelled an earlier scheduled vote, on the grounds that they lacked the votes to defeat it.