WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday broadening US sanctions against the Cuban government, two White House officials told Reuters, as he seeks to put more pressure on Havana after ousting Venezuela’s leader.

The fresh sanctions target people, entities and affiliates that support the Cuban government’s security apparatus or are complicit in corruption or serious human rights violations, as well as agents, officials or supporters of the government, the officials said.

It was not immediately clear who exactly had been hit with sanctions under the order, which was first reported by Reuters.

But a copy of the order released by the White House said the sanctions could apply to “any foreign person” operating in the “energy, defence and related materiel, metals and mining, financial services, or security sector of the Cuban economy, or any other sector of the Cuban economy.”

The order authorises secondary sanctions for conducting or facilitating transactions with those targeted under the order, the officials said.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the new “coercive” measures reinforce the US’s “brutal, genocidal” blockade against the island.

“The blockade and its reinforcement cause so much harm because of the intimidating and arrogant behaviour of the world’s greatest military power,” Diaz-Canel wrote on social media.

Cuba’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, said the sanctions measures, which were announced as the island held its traditional May Day celebrations, aim to impose “collective punishment on the Cuban people” and that Cubans would not be intimidated.

Ratcheting up pressure on Cuban government

Jeremy Paner, a former sanctions investigator at the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, said the move was the most significant one for non-American companies since the US embargo against Cuba began decades ago.

“Oil and gas, mining companies, and banks that have carefully segregated their Cuba operations from the United States are no longer protected,” said Paner, who is now a partner at Hughes Hubbard & Reed, a law firm.

The new sanctions are the latest broadside by the Trump administration against Cuba, which the president has repeatedly declared is near a state of collapse.

Under Trump, US forces have launched strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs off Venezuela and gone into Caracas to seize President Nicolas Maduro. Trump has said, without providing specifics, that “Cuba is next.”

The officials said Trump’s order contained an implicit warning to Cuba, accusing the Havana government of aligning itself with Iran and groups like Hezbollah.

“Cuba provides a permissive environment for hostile foreign intelligence, military, and terrorist operations less than 100 miles from the American homeland,” one official said.

The US has long demanded Cuba open its state-run economy, pay reparations for properties expropriated by the government of former leader Fidel Castro and hold “free and fair” elections. Cuba has said its form of socialist government is not up for negotiation.

The US heaped additional sanctions and pressure on the island early this year, when it halted Venezuelan oil exports to Cuba after ousting Maduro on January 3. Trump later threatened to slap punishing tariffs on any other country that sent crude to Cuba, prompting Mexico, another top supplier, to stop shipments to the island.

The fuel shortage in Cuba has contributed to major national-level blackouts and prompted many foreign airlines to suspend flights to the island.

Meryl Streep has taken a swipe at the Marvel Cinematic Universe while promoting the long-awaited sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2, suggesting that modern superhero films have made cinema “boring”. 

Speaking in a recent interview alongside co-stars Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt, the 76-year-old Oscar winner claimed that the film industry has a tendency to “Marvel-ize” stories by stripping away character depth.

She argued that the genre often relies on flat depictions of good versus evil, whereas the “messier” reality of life and more nuanced films like her latest project offer a far more realistic and interesting view.

Streep explained that she finds the complexity of human nature far more compelling than the traditional superhero tropes found in franchises like Iron Man or Captain America. 

She noted that what makes a story truly interesting is when heroes are flawed and villains are human, possessing their own unique strengths. 

It is this lack of simplicity that she enjoys about returning to the world of high fashion, noting that the sequel manages to locate something true about how the business has changed in the twenty years since the original 2006 film was released.

Beyond critiquing the state of cinema, the cast also shared their thoughts on the rise of artificial intelligence in the workplace. 

When asked if Miranda Priestly would ever use AI, Streep joked that her character simply has assistants for such tasks. 

Anne Hathaway added a warning for job seekers, revealing she had caught several applicants using ChatGPT to write thank-you notes, which she found “hilarious” and transparent. 

Streep was less amused by the trend, calling it “tragic” and urging young women to hold onto their humanity, famously adding that since “the future is female,” they shouldn’t let technology replace their individual voices.

Bella Hadid and her former flame Adan Banuelos have sparked rumours that they might be getting back together after being spotted looking very close in Texas. 

The 29-year-old supermodel and the 37-year-old professional equestrian were seen together about two weeks ago at a celebrity cutting event held at Taylor Sheridan’s ranch. 

Photos from the day show the pair wearing cowboy hats and chatting intimately, with both appearing relaxed and happy to be in each other’s company. 

While representatives for the two have stayed quiet on the matter, the sighting has fans wondering if they have managed to move past their previously “tumultuous” relationship.

This unexpected reunion comes just a few months after it was reported that the couple had gone their separate ways due to their vastly different lifestyles. 

Insiders previously suggested that Hadid’s high-profile upbringing as the daughter of Mohamed and Yolanda Hadid clashed with Banuelos’ more unassuming life in the world of rodeos. 

Although she reportedly tried to integrate him into her world, sources claimed the transition was simply too much for him. 

The split was reportedly complicated further by the fact that they had invested in million-dollar horses together during their time as a couple.

The history between the two has certainly had its dramatic moments, particularly around the time of their alleged breakup in late January.

Hadid and Banuelos first went public with their romance back in October 2023 when they were seen kissing in Fort Worth, and the supermodel later “hard-launched” the relationship with a series of sweet Valentine’s Day photos in 2024. 

Despite the reported friction and his recent legal run-in, this latest appearance at Taylor Sheridan’s ranch suggests that the bond between the model and the rider might be stronger than people thought. 

Whether they are officially back on or just friendly exes remains to be seen, but they certainly looked like a couple again under the Texas sun.