MIAMI – The United States (US) Coast Guard says the crew of its “Cutter Vigilant” has returned home to Cape Canaveral in Florida after offloading more than 1,510 pounds of cocaine and 1,470 pounds of marijuana seized in the Caribbean Sea with a combined value of about US$18.5 million. The US Coast Guard said that during the Vigilant’s 54-day patrol, coast guard crews, working alongside interagency and international partners, seized the illegal drugs in the Caribbean Sea during two separate interdictions. Along with the illicit narcotics, the US Coast Guard said 15 suspected smugglers were apprehended and will face prosecution in federal courts by the US Department of Justice. The crew also rescued or assisted more than 40 people in the Caribbean before and after Hurricane Milton. “We are proud to work seamlessly with partner nations, partner agencies, and other coast guard assets to keep drugs off the streets and rescue people in distress during a very busy hurricane season. We look forward to returning to our community and families and celebrating Cutter Vigilant’s 60 years of service.” (Jamaicaobserver)

Russia’s widespread overnight attack targeting critical energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine was a response to strikes on Russian territory using US-made ATACMS missiles, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

Putin claimed Russia hit 17 targets that were “military facilities, defense industry facilities and their support systems,” without acknowledging the hits to power infrastructure. “As I have said many times, there will always be a response from our side (to the use of American ATACMS),” Putin said during comments made at a security summit in Kazakhstan.

More than a million households in Ukraine were left without power following the aerial bombardment, authorities in the country said. This is Russia’s 11th large-scale assault on Ukraine’s energy supplies this year alone, according to the energy ministry in Kyiv, a strategy that has caused nationwide rolling blackouts.

Ukraine’s energy system came “under massive enemy attack,” overnight, Energy Minister German Halushchenko said Thursday, adding the attacks took place “all over Ukraine.” Bombardments have intensified in recent months, leaving Ukraine in a precarious position as the war grinds into its third winter.

In the immediate aftermath, Ukraine’s energy operator introduced emergency power cuts in many regions, with large outages in the western regions of Lviv, Volyn and Rivne. It has since shifted back to implementing scheduled hourly power cuts. At least five people were injured, including one person in the central Vinnytsia region, two in the southern Odesa region, and two in the capital Kyiv, officials said. In the city of Kharkiv, a missile struck a civilian business, according to local military authorities. (CNN)

Photo: People take shelter inside a metro station in Kyiv during Russia’s overnight attack. Alina. (Reuters)

WASHINGTON – The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is calling on Latin America and Caribbean countries (LAC) to coordinate fiscal and human resource management more closely to optimise government employment which accounts for a third of regional public expenditure. The IDB has released a comprehensive study titled “Better Government for Better Lives” that compiles data from the past 10 years on the professionalisation and modernisation of the civil service in Latin America and the Caribbean. It said this report provides a detailed overview of the region’s challenges and proposes a roadmap for building a more efficient, inclusive and resilient civil service. This third edition of the regional study reveals mixed progress on building capacities to boost the performance of the civil service. Some countries showed major progress while in others the gains have slowed over the last decade.

The study highlights improvements in planning and merit-based hiring, as well as training for public employees, an area driven by new technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic. “But challenges persist including: pay gaps that make it difficult to attract, motivate and retain talent; difficulty implementing performance evaluations, which is a common challenge in OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries as well; and limited use of merit-based criteria for top leadership,” the IDB said.

The study also finds significant disparities in the maturity of civil service oversight among countries in the region. “As the fiscal environment becomes increasingly complex, trust in public institutions erodes and technology changes at a rapid pace, civil service plays a crucial role in making governments’ administrative work more efficient and effective. “Professionalising the civil service is essential to meet demands for more and better services and foster a merit-based, inclusive, efficient and transparent public administration,” said Paula Acosta, chief of the IDB Innovation for Citizens Services Division. (Jamaicaobserver)

China is ready to keep expanding economic and trade exchanges with the Netherlands while adhering to the principle of mutual benefit, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday. During a phone call with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Li said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-Netherlands relations have developed steadily and rapidly, and cooperation in various fields has been continuously expanded, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples.

China is ready to maintain close exchanges with the new Dutch government and work together to uphold the positive momentum in promoting the bilateral relations, he said. Openness and practicality are valuable lessons drawn from the development of China-Netherlands relations, Li said, adding that China is ready to maintain close high-level exchanges with the Netherlands, strengthen dialogue and communication, continue to consolidate political mutual trust, so as to provide a solid foundation for the development of bilateral relations. For his part, Schoof said that China plays an increasingly important role in global affairs, and the Netherlands attaches great importance to its relationship with China.

Bilateral relations, particularly in terms of economic and trade cooperation, have seen strong growth. The Dutch government firmly adheres to the one-China policy, recognizing that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, Schoof said. The Netherlands is ready to serve as a gateway for China’s cooperation with Europe, and looks forward to further strengthening cooperation in economic, trade, and other fields to advance Netherlands-China relations.(China.rog)

SYDNEY – Australia approved on Thursday a social media ban for children aged under 16 after an emotive debate that has gripped the nation, setting a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest regulations targeting Big Tech. The law forces tech giants from Instagram and Facebook owner Meta (META.O), opens new tab to TikTok to stop minors logging in or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million). A trial of methods to enforce it will start in January with the ban to take effect in a year. (Reuters)

PARAMARIBO – Reports indicate that people who pretend to be from Su Aid are going to local businesses to ask for a donation. Su Aid made it clear that the only people who are authorized to collect money on behalf of the foundation have a so-called Traveling Box. The Traveling Box program which was launched 3 weeks ago will be concluded on December 1st.  

Cindy Uden and Monique Bueno De Mesquita are the only ones who are in possession of a metal Su Aid Traveling Box. The boxes are covered in Su Aid stickers and a number. Su Aid which is currently collecting donations for the Blood Bank of the Surinamese Red Cross made it clear that the imposters are putting the campaign in jeopardy. People who have questions about the current campaign can call Su Aid at 8640015 or email their questions to stichtingsuaid@hotmail.com or they can also contact the foundation via its social media channels.

The fastest way to donate money is via the Traveling Box or by texting ‘Anu’ to 1919. With each text message a person can donate SRD 15. Donations can also be deposited into the bank accounts of Stichting Su Aid or via the Mopé app to 8640015.

PARAMARIBO – There has been a rise in the number of burglaries at the nation’s schools since the start of the new school year. Some schools have been burglarized and vandalized multiple times. In some cases the perpetrators broke into the schools but did not take anything. They did, however, destroy desktops, furniture and other things. “There is a huge shortage of security guards which is why burglaries are happening on a regular basis,” said Giovanni Beek, chairman of the  Workers’ Union at the  Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.

“We are told to work with the tools at our disposal and that we must work independently. This is only possible for a short period but should not become a regular thing. One can’t guard a school if one can’t guarantee one’s own safety. If one of the guard gets an epileptic attack or does not feel so good because of diabetes and if there is no colleague around that person is as good as dead. A security guard’s life could also be in danger if he is attacked by a group of thieves or intruders,” said Beek who added that more security guards are needed.

Because of the shortage the security guards who are left must work extra shifts. “This is a structural shortage that was created by the ministry. The union keeps asking for more security guards but no new people are hired. The ministry stated that it would present a report on how to address these problems. Meanwhile we keep hearing about recent break-ins but if the ministry does not cooperate, there is very little that we can do,” said Beek.

PARAMARIBO – A 13-year-old student who was constantly bullied at school could not take it anymore and jumped off the school building last Tuesday. The officers from the Livorno Police Department immediately called the ambulance service after having received the call. The student reportedly fainted but did not sustain serious injuries. Paramedics nevertheless decided to take the teenager to the hospital for further treatment. During the course of the investigation the police found out that the student was often being bullied but that the management team at the school did very little to tackle the problem. The police went to the student’s father to talk to him about what had happened and to advise him to take his child to the psychologist as soon as possible. Reports indicate that the police will remain in contact with the teenager’s father. The police will also stay in contact with the management team to determine the appropriate measures against children who bully others. Parents are being urged to teach their children not to bully others because bullying could have serious consequences.

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday said Brazil’s economy, the largest in Latin America, will exceed expectations with more than 3 percent growth in 2024, amid controlled inflation and rising wages. “We are experiencing a favorable situation with controlled inflation and the economy growing more than forecast,” the president said in a speech at the opening of the National Meeting of the Construction Industry in Brasilia. “Things are happening” at the macroeconomic and microeconomic levels in Brazil, he added. On Monday, the Brazilian government raised its GDP growth forecast to 3.3 percent, while the financial market projected economic growth of 3.17 percent. The Central Bank of Brazil on Monday revised its inflation forecast for the end of 2024 from 4.64 to 4.63 percent, marking the first dip in 18 weeks, according to the bank’s weekly survey. (Xinhua)

AUSTRALIA – A police officer who shocked a 95-year-old nursing home resident with a taser, was found guilty of manslaughter in an Australian court Wednesday. A jury found Kristian James Samuel White guilty in the trial in Sydney after 20 hours of deliberation. White, who is on bail, could get up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced later.

Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother who had dementia and used a walker, was refusing to put down the steak knife she was holding when the officer discharged his taser at her in May 2023. Nowland fell backward after White shocked her and died a week later in hospital. Police said at the time that Nowland sustained her fatal injuries from striking her head on the floor, rather than directly from the device’s debilitating electric shock. White’s employment is under review and is subject to legal processes, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters after the verdict. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Photo: Senior Constable Kristian White arrives at the New South Wales Supreme Court, in Sydney. (AP)

WASHINGTON – The United States slapped sanctions on 21 senior Venezuelan security and cabinet officials Wednesday for leading a crackdown on the opposition after President Nicolas Maduro’s contested July reelection. “Maduro and his representatives’ repressive actions in the wake of the Venezuelan presidential election are a desperate attempt to silence the voices of its citizens,” Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury Bradley Smith said in a statement. (Jamaicaobserver)

Photo: Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro (R) shows a document with the signatures of the agreement on the recognition of the presidential election results as he addresses the media next to his wife Cilia Flores after appearing before the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) in Caracas. (AFP)

MADRID, Spain (AFP) – A Madrid court set Wednesday an October 2025 trial date for a 550-million-euro lawsuit by more than 80 Spanish media against Facebook owner Meta for allegedly violating EU data protection rules. EU rules oblige companies to obtain users’ consent to create personalised advertising from their data.

Spain’s main media association AMI says the US tech giant, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp, created “unfair competition” by “systematically” breaking the law from May 2018 to July 2023. Meta offered advertising spaces based on “an illegitimately obtained competitive advantage” to the detriment of traditional news media that respected the law, said AMI, which represents the owners of newspapers El Pais, El Mundo and La Vanguardia. (Jamaicaobsever)

TANZANIA – Tanzanian opposition party Chadema on Wednesday said three of its members were killed in incidents linked to local elections and accused the authorities of rigging the vote. Chadema chairman Freeman Mbowe said on X that one of its candidates, Modestus Timbisimilwa, was shot dead by police in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam as he attempted to stop “fake and invalid ballots” being delivered to a polling station. Chadema said another candidate, George Juma Mohamed, was also shot dead at his home in Mkese in central Tanzania the night before. Police said the death occurred when a group of prison officers was called in to deal with a clash between supporters of Chadema and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, and fired “warning shots”.

Another Chadema official, Steven Chalamila, was killed in a machete attack at his home in Tunduma near the border with Zambia, also late on Tuesday, according to the party. “The nation has once again witnessed blatant and shameful misconduct from all levels of the government authorities, colluding to secure disgraceful victories for the CCM and its candidates, even at the cost of Tanzanian lives,” said Mbowe said on X.

He said there were numerous reports of beatings and arrests of its candidates and supporters across the country as they sought to prevent the use of fake and invalid ballots. An AFP journalist in the western city of Kigoma saw voters clashing over alleged fake ballots, leading to arrests. “We believe these acts are being carried out with the directives and full blessings of (President Samia Suluhu Hassan) and her government,” said Mbowe. Tanzania is electing more than 80,000 local leaders, who wield considerable power in the East African nation. (Jamaicaobserver)

Photo: A Tanzanian security officer stands guard outside a classroom serving as a polling station during the Tanzanian local election at the Kibirizi Primary School in Kigoma. (AFP)