International
Cuba suffers a new national blackout, the third in two months
The Ministry of Energy and Mines (Minem) of Cuba reported on Wednesday that the country suffered a new national blackout, the third in just two months, after the failure in a key thermoelectric power plant for the National Electric System (SEN).
“At 2:08 this morning, the Electrical System, SEN, was disconnected when the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric company left by firing the automatic. We are working on the recovery process,” Minem said on social networks.
Cuba suffered another national blackout on October 18 due to another breakdown in that same thermoelectric power plant and another with the passage of Hurricane Rafael, on November 6, with category 3 (out of 5) on the Saffir-Simpson scale through the west of the country.
Energy crisis
In both cases it took days to restore service throughout the island. The country has been plunged into an energy crisis for years due to the lack of fuel – due to the lack of foreign currency to import it – and the frequent breakdowns in its obsolete thermoelectric plants, with decades of operation and a chronic deficit of investments. The situation has worsened since the end of August.
The Minister of Energy, Vicente de la O Levy, assured the state press that the reconnection will be “relatively faster” than in the previous two times. In that sense, the Chancellor, Bruno Rodríguez, said that “there are favorable conditions” for the restoration.
On Tuesday, the Caribbean country recorded its highest rate of affectation due to electricity generation deficit, with 52%, a figure similar to the one announced on November 19.
The frequent blackouts weigh down the economy – which already contracted by 1.9% in 2023 – and stire social discontent, visible in the massive migration of recent years and in the unusual protests that have been recorded since 2021.
In mid-November, the Minister of Economy, Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, acknowledged that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will also contract in 2024.
“The economic development of a country depends largely on energy and we have had electrical effects throughout the year (…) On the other hand, we have not had a stable supply of fuel this year either. There is a shortage of gasoline, diesel, etc… and the economy needs energy to be dynamic,” he lamented.
International
Climate-driven rains trigger one of Indonesia’s deadliest flood emergencies in years
A torrential monsoon season, compounded by two unusual tropical cyclones, has triggered intense rainfall in several regions since last week, including southern Thailand, northern Malaysia, and large parts of Indonesia.
Climate change has recently intensified rainfall patterns, as a warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture. In Indonesia, desperation is growing among those affected by the disaster due to the slow pace of rescue operations and the distribution of humanitarian aid.
Relief agencies warned that the scale of the emergency is nearly unprecedented, even for a country accustomed to frequent natural disasters.
Across the island of Sumatra, the death toll was revised downward to 770 fatalities and at least 463 people still missing as of Wednesday night. Earlier, the national disaster management agency had reported 804 deaths.
Gathering accurate information on the ground remains difficult, as many regions are still cut off due to flood damage, widespread power outages, communication failures, or a combination of all three.
International
Russian authorities ban Roblox citing child safety and moral concerns
Russia has blocked access to the U.S.-owned game creation platform Roblox, accusing it of distributing extremist materials and what authorities described as “LGBT propaganda,” state media reported on Wednesday.
The country has repeatedly threatened to ban certain foreign digital platforms, a move that human rights organizations view as part of broader efforts by authorities to tighten control over internet use.
In a statement released through Russian news agencies, the federal communications watchdog Roskomnadzor accused Roblox of hosting “inappropriate content that can negatively affect the spiritual and moral development of children.”
“The game exposes minors to sexual harassment, tricks them into sharing intimate photos, and encourages them to commit acts of depravity and violence,” the regulator claimed.
Last week, the same agency also threatened to ban WhatsApp, the country’s second most widely used messaging app, accusing it of failing to prevent criminal activity.
Roblox, which is owned by the U.S.-based Roblox Corporation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to company data for 2024, the platform has around 100 million daily users worldwide, nearly 40% of whom are under the age of 13.
Other countries, including Qatar, Iraq and Turkey, have also restricted or banned Roblox, mainly over concerns about the safety of underage users. In the United States, the states of Texas and Louisiana have filed lawsuits against the platform on similar grounds.
International
El Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López pleads guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges
Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, pleaded guilty on Monday to drug trafficking charges in a U.S. court, months after his brother Ovidio reached a similar plea agreement, according to local media reports.
The defendant appeared before a federal court in Chicago early Monday afternoon and changed his previous plea in the case, the Chicago Tribune reported. U.S. authorities accuse him of forming, together with his three brothers, the cartel faction known as “Los Chapitos.”
The group is believed to have continued the operations of El Chapo, who has been serving a life sentence in the United States since 2019.
Guzmán López, 39, was arrested after landing in Texas in a small aircraft alongside cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
Juan Orlando Hernández’s family takes time to decide next steps after surprise U.S. release
Climate-driven rains trigger one of Indonesia’s deadliest flood emergencies in years
Russian authorities ban Roblox citing child safety and moral concerns
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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