WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the certification of the eradication of “wild poliovirus” transmission in the region of the Americas, including the Caribbean.

PAHO said in 1975, the region reported nearly 6,000 cases of polio, but thanks to child vaccination and sustained surveillance implemented by governments with the support of PAHO and partners, the last case of wild poliovirus was detected in September 1991 in Peru and in 1994, the region was certified as free of this disease. “Achieving a milestone like this is not easy. It involves a lot of work, commitment, and tenacity from thousands of health workers, researchers, partners, and all the people responsible for vaccinating their children,” PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa said. However, Barbosa warned about the persistence of poliovirus in other parts of the world. “Until we eradicate the poliovirus globally, we must maintain high vaccination coverage and adequate surveillance to detect any imported cases,” he emphasised. Polio is a highly contagious disease that affects the central nervous system, causing acute flaccid paralysis.

Although most infections are asymptomatic, in one in 200 cases, the virus can cause permanent paralysis in the legs or arms. Globally, polio cases have declined by more than 99 per cent since 1988, when an estimated 350,000 cases were reported in more than 125 endemic countries. There are now just two endemic countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan. (jamaicaobserver)…[+]

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC – Police in St Vincent are investigating the circumstances that led to the deaths of two children after a fire gutted a house in Langley Park, Georgetown. In a statement confirming the deaths of the one-year boy and the three-year-old girl, the police however did not release information about their identities. Police said fire personnel along with police officers “responded swiftly to the scene to combat the blaze and secure the area”, adding that no other casualties had been reported at the time of their statement.

“A post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted to determine the exact cause of death,” the statement said as the police extended its “deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this tragedy. “Investigations are ongoing and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available,” the police said. (jamaica-gleaner)…[+]

The journey of Rossanna and Widman began in the Guatemalan village of San Juan La Laguna, on the turquoise Lake Atitlan, where they met when he bought the tortillas she was selling for lunch. It ended in the murky waters of the Rio Grande. The couple drowned as they tried to wade across the notorious part of the river that links Piedras Negras, Mexico, with Eagle Pass, Texas, on Feb. 24, just two among the hundreds of people who lose their lives trying to cross into the U.S. every year.

In June, relatives collected Widman’s casket from Guatemala City and carried it back along the winding highland roads to his hometown of Yepocapa in a white Mitsubishi van and then to his final resting place. Dozens of community members filed through the streets to mourn the popular 26-year-old, often called by his middle name Alex. Rossanna, his 25-year-old partner, was buried in San Juan La Laguna, near her family. In the Guatemalan highlands, the U.S. election campaigning about immigration and the salvos about who is doing what to secure the border are far away. For the people here, the story is simply that of two of their young who left to seek a better life and earn some money in “El Norte” and came back in boxes in the back of a van.

“She wanted to be a chef but we didn’t have the money for her to study,” said Francisca, Rossanna’s mother. “That’s why she wanted to go to the USA. She was going to work in a restaurant. I didn’t want her to leave but she insisted that five years would give her and Alex the opportunity to raise money to build their own house and open a restaurant here.” (Reuters)

Photo: A group of migrants, including Rossana and Widman (center) hold onto each other as they are swept downstream while attempting to cross into Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. (Reuters)…[+]

USA – On Wednesday afternoon, Kamala Harris stood in front of the vice-presidential residence in Washington DC, and delivered a short but withering attack on her Republican presidential opponent. Calling Donald Trump “increasingly unhinged and unstable”, she cited critical comments made by John Kelly, Trump’s former White House Chief of Staff, in a New York Times interview. The vice-president quoted Kelly describing Trump as someone who “certainly falls into the general definition of fascists” and who had spoken approvingly of Hitler several times. She said her rival wanted “unchecked power” and later, during a CNN town hall event, was asked point-blank if she believed he was a “fascist”. “Yes, I do,” she replied.

Shortly after the town hall finished, Trump posted on X and Truth Social that Harris’s comments were a sign that she was losing. He said she was “increasingly raising her rhetoric, going so far as to call me Adolf Hitler, and anything else that comes to her warped mind”. In the home stretch of political campaigns – particularly one as tight and hard-fought as the 2024 presidential race – there is a natural tendency for candidates to turn negative. Attacks tend to be more effective in motivating supporters to head to the polls and disrupting the opposing campaigns. For Harris, however, the heavier hand toward Trump stands in contrast to the more optimistic, “joyful” messaging of the early days of her campaign.

While she did warn at the Democratic convention of a Trump presidency without the guardrails, Harris largely stepped back from President Joe Biden’s core campaign message that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy.

According to political strategist Matt Bennett of the centrist Democratic group Third Way, however, it is clear why Harris was quick this time to amplify Kelly’s dark portrait of Trump as a man with authoritarian tendencies. (BBC)…[+]

MANILA, Philippines – Widespread flooding and landslides set off by a tropical storm in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday left at least 24 people dead, swept away cars and prompted authorities to scramble for motorboats to rescue trapped villagers, some on roofs. The government shut down schools and offices — except those urgently needed for disaster response — for the second day on the entire main island of Luzon to protect millions of people after Tropical Storm Trami slammed into the country’s northeastern province of Isabela after midnight.

The storm began to move away from the coast of the northwestern Philippine province of Ilocos Sur toward the South China Sea on Thursday afternoon with sustained winds of up to 95 kph (59 mph) and gusts up to 115 kph (71 mph). It was blowing southwestward and could strengthen into a typhoon over the South China Sea, according to state forecasters. At least 24 people died, mostly due to drowning in the hard-hit Bicol region and nearby Quezon province but the toll was expected to rise as towns and villages isolated by flooding and roads blocked by landslides and toppled trees manage to send out reports, police and provincial officials said.

Most of the storm deaths were reported in the six-province Bicol region, southeast of Manila, where at least 21 people died, including 8 residents in Naga city, which was inundated by flash floods as Trami was approaching Tuesday, dumping more than two months’ worth of rainfall in just 24 hours at high tide, regional police chief Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon and other officials said. (Jamaica-gleaner)

Photo: A man walks pass damage caused by flash floods after Tropical Storm Trami at Libon town in Philippines…[+]

Jerusalem – The Israeli military has forced Palestinians to enter potentially booby-trapped houses and tunnels in Gaza to avoid putting its troops in harm’s way, according to an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier and five former detainees who said they were victims of the practice. The soldier, who said his unit held two Palestinian prisoners for the explicit purpose of using them as human shields to probe dangerous places, said the practice was prevalent among Israeli units in Gaza.

“We told them to enter the building before us,” he explained. “If there are any booby traps, they will explode and not us.” It was so common in the Israeli military that it had a name: “mosquito protocol.”

The exact scale and scope of the practice by the Israeli military is not known. But the testimony of both the soldier and five civilians shows that it was widespread across the territory: in northern Gaza, Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Rafah. The soldier explained that, at first, his unit, which at the time was in northern Gaza, used standardized procedures before entering a suspect building: sending in a dog or punching a hole through its side with a tank shell or an armored bulldozer.

But one day this spring, the soldier said an intelligence officer showed up with two Palestinian detainees – a 16-year-old boy and 20-year-old man – and told the troops to use them as human shields before entering buildings. The intelligence officer claimed they were connected to Hamas. (CNN)

Photo: A photo shared by Breaking the Silence, an organization that provides a forum for Israeli soldiers to speak out and verifies their testimony, showing a soldier guarding a Palestinian prisoner with their hands bound.…[+]

SINGAPORE – Four Southeast Asian countries – Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand – have become partner countries of BRICS, a group of emerging economies that is seen as a counterweight to the West. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday (Oct 24), the @BRICSInfo account said 13 nations have been added to the alliance as partner countries. The other nine nations are Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Turkey, Uganda and Uzbekistan.

They are not full members of the group, which was established in 2006 and initially comprised Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined in 2010, while Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) became BRICS members this year. The member economies represent over US$28.5 trillion or about 28 per cent of the global economy. The annual BRICS summit is being held in Kazan, Russia from Oct 22 to 24. Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia can now enjoy better trade opportunities as the bloc has a combined population of 3.2 billion.

Malaysia is also committed to pursuing the agenda of the Global South in boosting collaboration, especially during Malaysia’s term as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year, he said in a written parliamentary reply on Thursday (Oct 24). “Malaysia’s desire to join BRICS represents its effort to uphold policies and identity as an independent and neutral country, striking a balance with great powers and opening up new business and investment opportunities,” he said, as quoted by media outlet Malay Mail.  Malaysia’s Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli is scheduled to deliver the country’s national statement at the summit on Thursday (Oct 24).

Another motivation could be to “further please China and thereby hopefully derive even better trade and investment terms with China, as China is clearly the driving force for BRICS”, said Dr Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs think tank. For Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia, which support the Palestinian cause, “it is also a knee-jerk, one-upping attempt against the West which (is) solidly behind Israel”, Dr Oh added. (channelnewsasia)

Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and other participants pose for a family photo prior to Outreach/BRICS Plus format session at BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. Malaysia sent its economy minister Rafizi Ramli (back row, second from right) while Indonesia sent its foreign minister Sugiono (back row, second from left). (Alexander Nemenov, Pool (AP)…[+]

USA – As the 5 November US presidential election approaches, Donald Trump has edged ahead of vice president Kamala Harris in some polls. This surge has caught the attention of crypto investors, who believe a Trump victory could lead to a rally in bitcoin (BTC-USD) and other digital assets.

With two weeks to go until the US election, Trump has extended his lead over Harris in both traditional polling and blockchain-based betting markets such as Polymarket. On Polymarket, Trump currently holds a 60.3% chance of winning, compared to Harris’s 39.6%. However, it’s important to note that Polymarket users tend to be more crypto-friendly and may favour Trump.

Traditional polls indicate a tighter race, especially in key swing states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania. While both candidates are viewed as broadly favourable toward crypto, Trump has taken a more clear and active stance. This year, he attended the Bitcoin 2024 conference and publicly endorsed crypto project World Liberty Financial. Harris has offered little clarity on her approach to crypto regulation, leaving uncertainty about her position on the industry.

In a recent University of Michigan Ross School of Business and Financial Times poll, 44% of voters trust Trump to manage the economy compared to 43% for Harris, marking the first time Trump has led on this issue in the FT-Michigan Ross poll. When asked which candidate would leave them better off financially, 45% of voters supported Trump compared to 37% for Harris. Bitcoin was trading at around $66,900 on Thursday, according to CoinGecko data. The broader cryptocurrency market saw a slight downturn, with the total market cap falling 0.3% to $2.4tn. (Yahoo)…[+]

GUYANA – A 23-year-old man was arrested by police in the wee hours last Wednesday, after he along with two other suspects were allegedly involved in a shoot-out with ranks during a mobile patrol at Sand Pit/Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast.

The man has been identified as Reno Paton, a resident of Sand Pit/Onderneeming. Police reported that the two other suspects are yet to be located. The incident occurred around 04:00h last Wednesday. During a police mobile patrol, ranks observed three men acting suspiciously. The ranks then approached the males, who reportedly opened fire on them. The police ranks returned fire, and the suspects fled in different directions.

During the chase, Patron fell to the ground and received injuries to his face. A search conducted on him led to the discovery of a 9mm pistol along with 14 live 9mm rounds in the magazine.

One spent shell was also recovered at the scene. He was escorted to the police station and placed in custody assisting with investigations. A team of police ranks is actively searching for the other two suspects in the Sand Pit area. (Kaieteur News)…[+]

Photo: Reno Paton. (Kaieteur News)

SEOUL – Rubbish carried by a North Korean balloon has landed on South Korea’s presidential compound, authorities have said, in the second such incident in recent months.

South Korea’s presidential security service said in a statement on Thursday that a balloon sent from across the inter-Korean border dumped rubbish onto the compound in Seoul’s Yongsan district, but no dangerous items or materials were discovered.

South Korea’s Dong-A Ilbo and Chosun Ilbo newspapers reported that the balloon contained propaganda leaflets ridiculing President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife.

The incident comes after Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, earlier this week claimed that authorities had discovered and removed “political motivational rubbish sent by the ROK scum”, referring to South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.

“The reckless infringement upon the sovereignty of the DPRK by the ROK military gangsters is a hideous military provocation that can never be pardoned, Kim said, referring to North Korea’s official name, according to a state media report.

“Seoul will have to experience at firsthand so as to know properly how dangerous [of an] act it committed and how terrible and fatal the consequences it brought on itself are,” Kim said, according to a state media report.

Pyongyang has floated thousands of balloons carrying refuse and propaganda leaflets across the border since May in response to propaganda leaflet drops into the North by South Korean activists.

Thursday’s incident marks the second time a balloon has dumped refuse on the South Korean president’s office following a similar case in July, raising concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean sites in the event of a North Korean attack. (Al Jazeera)…[+]

Photo: North Korean balloons are seen from the Unification Observation Post in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea. (AP)

RUSSIA/ NORTH KOREA – At least 3,000 North Korean soldiers arrived in eastern Russia this month, the White House said Wednesday, and while it remains unclear what exactly they will do, it is a “highly concerning probability” that they will join the fight against Ukraine. “We assess that between early- to mid-October, North Korea moved at least 3,000 soldiers into eastern Russia,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. “We assess that these soldiers traveled by ship from the Wonsan area in North Korea to Vladivostok, Russia. … We do not yet know whether these soldiers will enter into combat alongside the Russian military, but this is certainly a highly concerning probability. After completing training, these soldiers could travel to western Russia and then engage in combat against the Ukrainian military.”
Earlier Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was the first senior US official to confirm on the record that North Korea had deployed troops to Russia as North Korea and Russia have forged increasingly friendly ties since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “We are seeing evidence that that there are North Korean troops that have gone to Russia,” Austin told reporters traveling with him in Rome on Wednesday. “What, exactly, they’re doing is left to be seen.”
“If they’re a co-belligerent, their intention is to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf, that is a very, very serious issue, and it will have impacts not only on in Europe — It will also impact things in the Indo Pacific as well,” Austin said. Kirby said Wednesday that the US has briefed the Ukrainian government and are keeping in close consultation with allies and partners.
In recent months, Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened their anti-United States military partnership and the growing alliance has concerned officials in Kyiv and Washington. “I can tell you one thing, though,” Kirby said Wednesday. “If they do deploy to fight against Ukraine, they’re fair game. They’re fair targets.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned that North Korean troops are joining the war on Russia’s behalf, telling a NATO summit last week that “10,000” soldiers and technical personnel were being prepared.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said Friday that North Korea has shipped 1,500 soldiers, including special forces fighters, to Russia for training. (CNN)

MALAYSIA – SELAYANG: The chief executive officer and chairman of an Islamic conglomerate that has been linked to a Malaysian religious deviant group were among 22 people who were charged in court on Wednesday (Oct 23) for being part of an organised crime group. Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB) Holdings’ Nasiruddin Mohd Ali, his wife Azura Md Yusof, and Adib At-Tamimi – who is the son of Al-Arqam’s founder Ashaari Muhammad – had claimed trial when charged at the Selayang Sessions Court in Selangor state along with 19 others. They are aged between 27 and 72.

Al-Arqam is an Islamic movement that was banned by Malaysian religious authorities in 1994 for deviant practices. Meanwhile, GISB Holdings – a controversial Malaysian conglomerate said to have some 10,000 followers – dominated domestic and international headlines for allegations of sexual abuse, human trafficking and religious deviance among others.

Local media outlet The Star reported that all 22 were charged under Section 130V(1) of the Penal Code for being part of an organised crime group. If convicted, they can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in jail. Another media outlet, Sinar Harian, reported that they are alleged to be part of the GISB organised crime group in Jalan Desa Bandar Country Homes in Rawang, Selangor, between October 2020 and Sep 11 this year. The trial is set to take place at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Dec 23.

During the proceedings on Wednesday, the lawyer representing GISB Holdings Rosli Kamaruddin requested Judge Lailatul Zuraida to give his clients – Nasiruddin and three members – 10 minutes to sign an affidavit, which was granted.

Separately, Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said on Wednesday that more than 30 other individuals associated with GISB and detained under SOSMA are still being investigated by the authorities. “We arrested approximately 60 people under SOSMA. After that, we worked with the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and with the evidence we had, we were able to charge 22 individuals. (CNA)