(CNN)  An epidemic of childhood pregnancy in Paraguay is being fueled by widespread sexual abuse and restrictive abortion laws, according to a new Amnesty International report.

At least 1,000 girls aged 14 or younger gave birth in the country between 2019 and 2020, the report says. It adds that more than 12,000 teenage girls between the ages of 15 and 19 gave birth in 2019.

The report, titled “They are girls, not mothers,” highlights a crisis of sexual violence against children, who are then forced to carry resulting pregnancies to term under Paraguayan law.

The South American nation’s abortion laws are some of the most extreme in the region, with the procedure criminalized in almost every circumstance, except when the life of the mother is recognized to be in danger.

Paraguay has one of the highest child and teenage pregnancy rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Early childbirth can pose significant health risks. Girls under the age of 15 are four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications, according to the Latin American Consortium against Unsafe Abortion.

Want to help survivors of child sex trafficking? Stop using these terms

In Paraguay, girls and teenagers between the ages of 10 and 19 account for one in ten maternal deaths nationwide, as well as 13% of maternal deaths caused by unsafe abortions, according to Amnesty.

Paraguay adopted a law in 2018 to prevent sexual abuse and guarantee comprehensive care for child and teenage survivors of sexual abuse. However, the report describes the law’s implementation as insufficient, highlighting holes in the protection of young people, “such as the absence of appropriate public policies and the failure to enforce existing laws to prevent abuse and provide redress when it does occur.”

Abortion rights activists demonstrate in Asuncion, Paraguay in 2018.

“By action and omission, Paraguay is turning its back on its girls and teenagers as they face unimaginable abuses,” Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International said.

“Girls have the right to a life free of violence. Forcing someone to continue with a pregnancy, particularly when it is the result of rape, is a form of ill-treatment that can be considered torture,” she added.

In 2019 alone, the country’s Public Prosecutor’s Office received an average of 12 reports of sexual violence against children and teenagers every day, which in some cases resulted in pregnancy, according to the report.

Paraguay’s restrictive stance on abortion has drawn international attention before. In 2015, an 11-year-old gave birth after Paraguayan authorities denied her an abortion. The girl had become pregnant by her stepfather at the 10.

The post Paraguay: Epidemic of Childhood Pregnancy Fueled by Widespread Sexual Abuse appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

By Fergus Walsh
Medical editor

The post Pfizer Boss: Annual Covid Shots Needed for Years to Come appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

Omicron likely to spread beyond Canada and Brazil, says regional health agency

By Anthony Boadle

Reuters

Syringes with needles are seen in front of a displayed stock graph and words “Omicron SARS-CoV-2” in this illustration taken, November 27, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

BRASILIA, Dec 1 (Reuters) – The new Omicron variant of the coronavirus is likely to soon spread to other countries in North and South America after being detected in Canada and Brazil, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday.

World Health Organization (WHO) officials said 24 countries have reported cases of the variant, prompting many nations to tighten their borders. read more

“It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible than other variants, or if it causes more severe disease,” said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne, adding that it will take time to test the variant.

“Speed and transparency are especially critical at this time. But above all, we urge people not to be frightened.”

Until the neutralization tests and other laboratory assays are completed, experts will not have enough evidence to determine the degree of transmissibility or severity of the Omicron variant, or to assess the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines against it, Etienne told reporters on a webcast news conference.

Over the last week in North America, COVID-19 cases in Canada and the United States remained steady but high, while infections and deaths have dropped by over 20% in Mexico, the regional health agency said.

In Central America, every country except Panama has seen a reduction infections and deaths, PAHO reported.

In South America, cases in Southern Cone countries have increased steadily for the past several weeks, while in the Andean region and in Brazil, infections are plateauing.

Omicron was designated a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization on Friday. read more

Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Mark Porter and Lisa Shumaker

===================================

First US omicron case detected in California

By Nathaniel Weixel and Morgan Chalfant

The U.S. has detected the nation’s first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus in California, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday.

The individual is a fully vaccinated San Francisco resident who returned from South Africa on November 22, the CDC said. The person had mild symptoms, which are improving, and is self-quarantining.

All close contacts have also tested negative, the CDC added.

During a press briefing shortly after the case was disclosed, chief White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci urged Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and said that those who are eligible should get their booster shots, describing the vaccines as the best protection against the virus and the omicron variant.

“We know what we need to do to protect people,” Fauci told reporters while encouraging Americans to wear masks in congregate settings to prevent the spread of the virus.

“[T]he fact is that people should wind up getting vaccinated and boosted if they’re eligible for a boost. I keep coming back to that because that’s really the solution to this problem,” Fauci said.

He said the infected individual had not received a booster.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki also told reporters that President Biden has been briefed on the omicron variant, noting that he meets with his medical team on a daily basis. Biden is slated on Thursday to outline plans to combat the coronavirus, and particularly the omicron and delta variants, during the winter months.

The person entered the U.S. four days before South Africa announced the discovery of the variant, and tested positive on Nov. 29, the same day the Biden administration’s ban on travelers from eight African countries took effect.

The ban has come under fire from prominent health experts and former administration officials who say it is ineffective and punitive against African countries, especially as Western countries have failed to deliver needed vaccine supplies and logistics to the continent.

Fauci, however, defended the policy as necessary to buy time to better understand the new variant but said it was only temporary.

“We did struggle with that,” Fauci said on Wednesday in response to a question from a reporter for Today News Africa. “We wanted to see if we could buy time, temporarily, so I do hope that this gets sorted out and lifted before it has any significant impact on your country.”

Fauci also said he doesn’t think Americans should be doing anything differently with their lives, and emphasized the importance of the mitigation strategies that are known to be effective — getting vaccinated, masking in crowded public spaces and physical distancing.

In a joint statement, California and San Francisco public health officials said the case was identified “thanks to California’s large-scale testing and early detection systems.”

The agencies said they are increasing testing at airports for arrivals from several countries identified by the CDC.

“We must remain vigilant against this variant, but it is not a cause for panic,” the agencies said.

It was widely expected that the variant would be detected in the U.S. It has already been identified in other countries, including the U.K. and Canada, even after many nations moved to restrict travel from southern African countries, where the first known case was discovered at the end of last week.

“As the President said last Friday, it was only a matter of time before the first case of Omicron was detected in the U.S. We are prepared to meet this challenge with science and speed,” White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said in a statement.

“The President’s medical team continues to believe that existing vaccines will provide some level of protection against severe illness from Omicron, and individuals who have gotten boosters have even stronger protection. As such, we urge all adults to get their booster shots and to get themselves and their kids vaccinated, if they haven’t already,” Zients continued.

Officials say it will take at least two weeks to have a better understanding of the transmissibility and severity of omicron and the degree to which vaccines protect against it.

In the meantime, the Biden administration is working with the three vaccine manufacturers to prepare for the possibility that vaccines will need to be adjusted in order to provide protection against the new variant, but any changes will take time.

Brett Samuels contributed.

==============================================

UK ministers secure 114m more Covid vaccines for next two years

Extra Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna jabs for 2022 and 2023 ordered to ‘future proof’ vaccine programme

Ministers in the UK have secured new contracts to buy 114m more Covid-19 vaccines for the next two years.

The deals, for 2022 and 2023, were accelerated after the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus variant, officials said. Under the agreements, the UK will buy 54m more doses from Pfizer/BioNTech and 60m more doses from Moderna.

These purchases are in addition to the 35m extra Pfizer/BioNTech doses ordered in August for delivery in the second half of 2022, officials said. The UK is also still expecting 60m Novavax and 7.5m GSK/Sanofi doses in 2022.

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, said the new deals would “future proof” the UK’s vaccine programme and ensure protection for “even more people in the years ahead”.

There remains uncertainty about further health programmes. Some experts have warned that Covid-19 will have to be kept at bay by repeated vaccine campaigns, while others have said it is too early to tell whether annual vaccine boosters will be needed.

Officials at the Department of Health and Social Care said the new contracts included access to modified vaccines if needed to combat Omicron and future variants of concern.

Covid vaccine boosters in England: what has changed?

The government said it had enough supplies of both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech doses for the current expansion of the booster programme.

Ministers said this week that all adults in the UK would be offered a booster shot before the end of January, amid growing concerns about the Omicron variant. Vaccination experts advising the government have expressed preference for the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.

Trial data suggest booster doses are generally well tolerated and provide a substantial increase in vaccine-induced immune responses, in particular, and that mRNA vaccines provide a strong booster effect.

Javid said: “These new deals will future proof the Great British vaccination effort, which has so far delivered more than 115 million first, second and booster jabs across the UK, and will ensure we can protect even more people in the years ahead.

“This is a national mission, and our best weapon to deal with this virus and its variants is to get jabs in arms. So when you are called forward, get the jab and get boosted.”

us different. When it’s never been more important, our independence allows us to fearlessly investigate, challenge and expose those in power.

 

The post Omicron Likely to Spread Globally, First US Omicron Case Detected in California appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

WASHINGTON,DC– The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved today US$40 million for the Volcanic Eruption Emergency Project in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The project is also financed by a US$2 million grant from the European Union’s Caribbean Regional Resilience Building Facility, managed by the World Bank’s Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.

In April 2021, the La Soufrière volcano experienced explosive eruptions that damaged critical services, infrastructure, and agriculture, affecting the entire population of the island of St Vincent. The eruption also resulted in significant population displacement—approximately 22,400 people were evacuated from areas close to the volcano, many remaining in shelters for months. The natural disaster compounded the effects of COVID-19, creating financing needs estimated at US$175 million, 23 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2021.

“The people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have endured the twin shocks of the volcanic eruption and COVID-19. The project will help the country build back better while taking into account its vulnerability to natural disasters and the growing threat of climate change,” said Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank Country Director for Caribbean Countries.

“This project will support the government’s efforts to restore infrastructure, stimulate economic activity, and assist the most vulnerable in the population, particularly women. We hope that this project will be a catalyst for growth and strengthen the country’s resilience.”

The Volcanic Eruption Emergency Projectwill support the rapid restoration of critical infrastructure damaged by the volcanic eruptions. It will also improve the government’s capacity to respond to future emergencies, provide temporary grants to 4,000 displaced households, and be used to implement a cash-for-work program to support the labor-intensive work of ash and debris cleaning.

In April 2021, the World Bank provided US$20 million to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to address immediate needs, and the Bank allocated a further US$50 million for budget support in June 2021.The Volcanic Eruption Emergency Project financing, which is from the International Development Association (IDA), is interest-free with a maturity of 40 years, including a grace period of 10 years.

The post SV&G Gets $40m Christmas Gift from World Bank for Volcanic Eruption Relief appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

The post US CDC Warns Americans ‘Don’t Travel to Trinidad & Tobago’ appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

A United Nations official from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Tuesday announced famine in Latin America and the Caribbean had increased at a higher rate compared to other regions in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is the sixth edition in which we must report bad news,” said Julio Berdegué Tuesday in Santiago, Chile, when releasing the 2021 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition. He added the situation has been deteriorating constantly since 2014, but it gained speed under the sanitary crisis.

“Hunger is one of the worst forms, the most serious, of food security, but in this region there are 267 million people who suffer from moderate and severe food insecurity,” Berdegué underlined, as sixty million people in 2019 alone joined the ranks of the undernourished.

“We must say it loud and clear: Latin America and the Caribbean are facing a critical situation in terms of food security,” Berdegué insisted. “There has been an almost 79% hike in the number of people living in hunger from 2014 to 2020.”

Food security deteriorated 9% between 2019-2020 throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. “No other region comes close to it,” Berdegué pointed out, “not even the poorest, like Africa.”

Berdegué also highlighted the private sector was key to finding solutions to this problem, because there cannot be positive action without a change in the productive strategies, where agri-food businesses are essential.

“Governments have to conduct the policies that provide the framework for this turn,” he said as he highlighted Chile’s performance in this regard.

But beyond nice words, the truth remained that the number of hungry people in Latin America and the Caribbean has risen by 30% since 2019 to reach its highest level in 15 years. More than 59 million people across the region currently are not getting enough to eat, an increase of 13.8 million people in just one year, according to UN agencies.

The prevalence of severe food insecurity (people without food or have gone a day or more without eating) reached 14% in 2020, a total of 92.8 million people, a huge increase compared to 2014, when it affected 47 , 6 million people.

“This is not solved with personal attitudes. What is required is a food system that satisfies the population in a healthy way.” Berdegué stressed.

Obesity also grew signitifcantly over the past few years, which is in itself another form of malnutrition stemming from unhealthy diets and life conditions. Between 2000 and 2016 it grew 9.5% in the Caribbean, 8.2% in Central America and 7.2% in South America. Childhood overweight has been increasing for 20 years in the region, and in 2020, 3.9 million children – 7.5% of those under five years of age – were overweight, almost 2 percentage points above the world’s average.

The post UN: Famine, Hunger Increase in Caribbean & Latin America appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

The Israeli city climbed five spots in the past 12 months to take the unwanted title away from last year’s joint winners of Paris, Hong Kong and Zurich, according to the authoritative ranking system compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The French capital was joint second with Singapore, while Zurich and Hong Kong made up the rest of the top five. New York was in sixth, with Geneva in seventh, and Copenhagen, Los Angeles and Osaka rounding off the Top 10.

London rose three spots to 17 in the annual ranking, with Sydney up one to 14, and Melbourne up two to 16.

Tel Aviv’s surge up the table was partly due to the strength of the national currency, the shekel, against the dollar, as well increases in prices for transport and groceries.

It was ranked the second most expensive city for alcohol and transport, and fifth for personal care and sixth for recreation. It made the top third in all 10 of the EIU’s major spending categories, with its index score up by 5 points since last year.

The dislocation of the global economy as it recovers from the stop-start impact of pandemic-enforced lockdowns this year played a large part in the shake-up of the rankings.

‘Wake up’: markets warn central banks to get a grip on inflation

The data on 50,000 goods and services in 173 cities was collected in August and September as prices for freight and commodities rose. On average, prices rose 3.5% in local currency terms – the fastest inflation rate recorded over the past five years. The survey includes rental costs, but does not factor in property prices.

Upasana Dutt, head of worldwide cost of living at the EIU, said: “We can clearly see the impact in this year’s index, with the rise in petrol prices particularly stark,” adding that while central banks are expected to raise interest rates cautiously, reducing inflation.

Forty new cities were added to the rankings this year. The Scottish capital Edinburgh was the highest new entry on the charts, coming in at joint 27th on a par with cities with a high cost of living such as Auckland and Minneapolis. Two other new cities –Stuttgart and San Diego – also entered in the Top 50.

Rome saw the biggest drop as it fell 16 places to 48, with a particularly sharp decline in the cost of groceries and clothing. Bangkok and Lima were the second-biggest movers down the rankings, with significant declines in all categories.

The post Tel Aviv Overtakes Hong Kong, Paris and Zurich as World’s Most Expensive City appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

A teacher who received a graze wound to the shoulder has left the hospital, but seven students ranging in age from 14 to 17 remained hospitalized through the night with gunshot wounds, he said.

The gun the boy was carrying had seven more rounds of ammo in it when he surrendered, Bouchard said.

Undersheriff Mike McCabe said the student’s parents advised their son not to talk to investigators. Police must seek permission from a juvenile’s parents or guardian to speak with them, he added.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement her office expects to issue charges quickly and that an update would be given Wednesday.

Authorities were made aware of posts on social media that said there had been threats of a shooting at the roughly 1,700-student school, but Bouchard said they didn’t know about the rumors until after the attack.

He stressed how crucial it is for tips of the kind to be sent to authorities, while also cautioning against spreading social media rumors before a full investigation.

McCabe also downplayed the significance of a situation in early November when a deer head was thrown off the school roof, which he said was “absolutely unrelated” to the shooting. The vandalism prompted school administrators to post two letters to parents on the school’s website, saying they were responding to rumors of a threat against the school but had found none.

Bouchard said the student in custody had no previous run-ins with his department and he wasn’t aware of any disciplinary history at school.

“That’s part of our investigation to determine what happened prior to this event and if some signs were missed how were they missed and why,” he said.

The campus was placed on lockdown during the attack, with some children sheltering in locked classrooms. They were later taken to a nearby Meijer grocery store to be picked up by their parents.

The district said in a statement that all of its schools would be closed for the rest of the week.

Isabel Flores, a 15-year-old ninth grader, told WJBK-TV that she and other students heard gunshots and saw another student bleeding from the face. They then ran from the area through the rear of the school, she said.

A concerned parent, Robin Redding, said her son, Treshan Bryant, is a 12th grader at the school but stayed home Tuesday. Redding said her son had heard threats that there could be a shooting.

“This couldn’t be just random,” she said.

Bryant said he texted several younger cousins in the morning and they said they didn’t want to go to school, and he got a bad feeling. He asked his mom if he could do his assignments online.

Bryant said he had heard vague threats “for a long time now” about plans for a shooting.

At a vigil Tuesday night at LakePoint Community Church, Leeann Dersa choked back tears as she hugged friends and neighbors. Dersa has lived nearly all of her 73 years in Oxford. Her grandchildren attended the high school.

“Scared us all something terrible. It’s awful,” Dersa said of the shooting.

Pastor Jesse Holt said news of the shooting flooded in to him and his wife, including texts from some of the 20 to 25 students who are among the 400-member congregation.

“Some were very scared, hiding under their desks and texting us, ‘We’re safe, we’re OK. We heard gunshots, but we’re OK.’ They were trying to calm us, at least that’s how it felt,” he said.

___

Associated Press writers Corey Williams in West Bloomfield, Michigan, David Aguilar in Oxford Township, Kathleen Foody in Chicago, and Josh Boak in Rosemount, Minnesota, contributed to this report.

The post Shooting: Student Kills 4, Injures 8 at Michigan High School appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

Abortion rights at stake in historic Supreme Court arguments

WASHINGTON (AP) — Abortion rights are on the line at the Supreme Court in historic arguments over the landmark ruling nearly 50 years ago that declared a nationwide right to end a pregnancy. The justices on Wednesday will weigh whether to uphold a…Read More

*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=default” width=”600″ border=”0″ />
*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=static” border=”0″ />	*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

Student shoots, kills 3, injures 8 at Michigan high school

OXFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A 15-year-old sophomore opened fire at his Michigan high school, killing three students, including a 16-year-old boy who died in a deputy’s patrol car on the way to a hospital, authorities said. …Read More

*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=default” width=”600″ border=”0″ />
*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=static” border=”0″ />	*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

Loyalty to family — instead of CNN — puts Cuomo at risk

NEW YORK (AP) — There’s family, and your job as a journalist. Chris Cuomo’s willingness to put the latter at risk in service to his brother has led to his suspension by CNN. The network took him off the air Tuesday, saying that material released b…Read More

*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=default” width=”600″ border=”0″ />
*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=static” border=”0″ />	*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

Japan starts booster COVID vaccinations amid omicron scare

TOKYO (AP) — Japan on Wednesday started offering coronavirus vaccine booster shots to health care workers amid growing concerns over a new variant of the virus that has already been detected in the country. …Read More

*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=default” width=”600″ border=”0″ />
*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=static” border=”0″ />	*****@***il.com&p=25947756&stpe=static” border=”0″ />

Jan. 6 panel to vote on contempt against former DOJ official

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection will vote on pursuing contempt charges against a former Justice Department official Wednesday as the committee aggressively seeks to gain answers about the violen…Read More

The post WORLD VIEW: US Abortion Rights, Another US High School Shooting, Japan Starts Boosters, More appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

The post UK: Boris Johnson Contradicts Medical Experts…Tells All to Have Chistmas as Usual appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.