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The United States has slapped sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and top officials over their role in crushing the July 2021 protests.

Marking the fourth anniversary of the unrest, Washington imposed visa bans and targeted key figures, including the defense and interior ministers, for human rights abuses, according to Reuters.

The 2021 protests saw thousands march to the streets over food and gasoline shortages, with hundreds imprisoned and at least one killed—the largest rebellion since the 1959 revolution.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the government continues to benefit insiders while regular Cubans suffer. Havana retaliated, calling the move interference.

The US embargo on Cuba remains in place, Reuters reported.

The Trump administration has laid off 1,107 civil service and 246 foreign Service employees from the State Department as part of its federal workforce reduction plan. Over 1,500 others had already left voluntarily earlier this year, according to BBC.

The cuts hit key areas like the refugee admissions office and the Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) team. The move comes after the Supreme Court cleared the administration’s plan to reduce the workforce by 18 percent.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the layoffs followed bureau closures, not targeted firings. But Senate Democrats criticized the move, warning it weakens national security and government effectiveness.

The layoffs follow the shutdown of USAID, with most of its programs cancelled and the rest absorbed by the State Department, BBC reported.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli cautioned that human existence could be at risk if the population growth does not take place equally alongside development and prosperity.

He said so at a program organized by the Ministry of Health and Population today to mark the World Population Day-2025 and to introduce the National Population Policy-2082 BS.

Emphasizing the need for development to align with population growth/demographic dividend, Oli stated that everyone should view childbearing as a responsibility towards the Earth.

"Every country has a meaning because of humans. As humans, we give meaning to the earth as well. If there were no population, there would not be a country either," the PM asserted, calling for suitable policies and timely action to protect the prosperous existence of the human race. 

He argued that the human race is the most valuable source for creation and thus urged people to stop killing people for personal gain. 

Hitting out at irony, he said, "Holding seminars on population while continuing to kill people by making weapons of mass destruction will endanger the existence of humankind."

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the government, youths and women entrepreneurs should work together for the country's prosperity.

Inaugurating the International Women Leadership Conference, 2082 organized by the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs' Association of Nepal today, Prime Minister Oli stressed the need of achieving success by working together for prosperity.  

He mentioned, "We should achieve prosperity through development of entrepreneurship. The government has given high importance to youths and women entrepreneurship. I am confident that the conclusion drawn from this conference will help to fulfill the government's priorities."

The PM added that the country has been implementing provisions mentioned in the Constitution for women empowerment in practice.

"We have guaranteed at least 33 percent representation of women in three levels. The number of girl students is higher than that of boys in schools. Girl students have been achieving good results. We have to achieve further progress," PM Oli argued.