One-Minute Reads ... News from around the region

PUERTO RICO

US Coast Guard makes big drug find

The US Coast Guard says it recently transferred custody of two suspected smugglers and 430 kilogrammes of seized cocaine to US federal law enforcement authorities in Puerto Rico.

This following the interdiction of a drug smuggling go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea. The Coast Guard said the seized drug shipment is more than US$12 million.

The Coast Guard said the crew of a patrolling a US maritime patrol aircraft detected a suspicious 30-foot go-fast vessel, with two people aboard.

The Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon responded to the sighting and crew boarded the vessel. The boarding team located 21 bales of suspected contraband in the boat.

The boarding team placed the two men in custody and took them aboard the cutter along with the seized contraband, that was designated for the US.

The detainees were later transferred to the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier and transported to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were taken into federal custody.

Bermuda irked by CDC's COVID rating

The Bermudan government announced it was taking steps to correct what it termed an erroneous classification of the island's COVID-19 risk status by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The government said that the CDC had classified Bermuda's risk status as "Level 3 -- High".

A government spokesman said: "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Bermuda only has sporadic cases. This is the lowest WHO classification outside of no COVID-19 cases. The government has contacted the US consulate in Bermuda to communicate its concern with this listing that does not match the reality on the island." A passenger from Atlanta failed a COVID-19 test in the island last Saturday, pushing the number of confirmed cases up to 158.

A Ministry of Health spokesman said the lone case was among 774 results. Twelve passengers, the first 11 confirmed as returning residents, have failed the test since Bermuda reopened its airport on July 1.

One flew in on Air Canada from Toronto. Nine people have died. Of the 158 confirmed cases, five are being monitored by public health officials, but none are in hospital.

HAITI

UN body donates funds to fight COVID-19

The Central Intervention Fund for Humanitarian Emergencies (CERF), a United Nations organisation, has allocated US$4 million to support and strengthen the response in the fight against COVID-19 in vulnerable communities in Haiti.

This allocation will support the work of other groups, including three international NGOs: Humanity and Inclusion, Solidarites International, and Habitat pour l'Humanite.

The projects, selected in collaboration with the Haitian authorities on the basis of a careful needs assessment, will benefit more than 265,000 people.

This fund will specifically target responses in the areas of health, water, sanitation and hygiene, in accordance with the humanitarian response relating to COVID-19.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Former councillor stabbed

Trinidad and Tobago police are investigating an incident in which a former councillor with the main opposition United National Congress (UNC) was stabbed late Saturday, in Basse Terre Village, Moruga.

The police report that Phillip Gonzales, 58, was sitting in a taxi parked on the main road when a man entered. It's reported that a confrontation followed, during which Gonzales was stabbed to the right side of the chest.

The suspect then fled the scene. Gonzales raised an alarm and was taken to a health facility where he was treated before being transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital.

The police say that they have details on the suspect and an arrest is imminent.

THE BAHAMAS

Invasive cane toads being captured

The Bahamas National Trust in partnership with the departments of Agriculture and Environmental Health have captured close to 400 cane toads as the battle against the invasive species continues.

The species, that can be found in Western New Providence, is harmful to humans and pets.

According to Scott Johnson, science officer in avian and terrestrial matters with the Bahamas National Trust, the cane toad was first discovered in Lyford Cay in 2013 and since then, the population is being regularly monitored.

Cane toads produce a toxin known as bufotoxin that affects the heart and can be problematic to humans. However, the creatures that are most at risk are native wildlife and pets, especially dogs.