International
Ecuador: Revolucion Ciudadana rejects accusations of assassination
October 10 |
The Citizen Revolution party rejected Monday the accusations made against it by a former presidential candidate in relation to the alleged responsibility of former President Rafael Correa in the murder of then candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
A statement from the political entity qualifies Christian Zurita’s accusations as a “new infamy that aims to destroy democracy and once again prevent “Ecuador from getting rid of so much misery at the polls”.
In this sense, they demand from the Government of Guillermo Lasso “clarity in the facts”, due to the fact that Villavicencio’s security was in charge of Lasso’s Government and he was assassinated”.
They recall that, likewise, the life of the material authors of the murder was in charge of “the SNAI (Lasso’s Government) and they murdered them”, so they state that “even against all logic it turns out that, manipulating public opinion, the fault is ours that we stopped being Government 7 years ago”.
On the other hand, they reject what they call “the proselytizing and electoral use of an event as regrettable as the murder of Fernando Villavicencio, and as surprising and terrifying as the murder of his alleged hitmen while they were under the protection of the Police (on the day of the murder) and the SNAI in different prisons of the country”.
In the same way, they denounce “any type of malicious accusation that, lacking evidence and foundations, pretends to deliberately attempt against democracy just days before the presidential elections”, which will take place next Sunday.
On the day that the prosecutorial investigation of the Villavicencio case was closed, and after seven of the thirteen defendants were found dead in jail on Friday, Zurita affirmed that the “advanced testimony of the only witness that they failed to kill (and who was protected) pointed out under oath that those responsible for the murder of Fernando Villavicencio is the ‘Government of Correa’”.
“The value agreed with the hired assassins to end Fernando’s life was 200,000 dollars. There was a first attempt on June 1 in the great caravan of Santo Domingo (de los Tsáchilas), but they carried it out on August 9,” said Zurita, allegedly based on the statement of this witness.
Former President Correa came out to deny the accusations and described them as an attack on democracy.
International
Colombia Earthquake Leaves at Least 22 Dead as Rescue Efforts Continue
At least 22 people were killed and dozens more were affected by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday, with the epicenter located near the municipality of San José del Palmar in the northwestern department of Chocó, authorities reported in a preliminary assessment.
The city of Pereira has so far recorded the highest number of fatalities. Mayor Mauricio Salazar told local media that 18 people had died in the city and warned that a large number of buildings had been damaged.
“The situation is critical, and we are moving forward with assessments while assisting people who remain trapped,” Salazar said.
Authorities in Manizales reported two additional deaths, while two more fatalities were confirmed in the department of Valle del Cauca. Several people were also injured, and structural damage was reported in different communities.
“We are just beginning to establish radio communication with the hospitals. We know that we have three injured people in El Cairo, two deaths in Zarzal, the collapse of an academic structure in Calima Darién, and minor structural damage in Cali,” said María Cristina Lesmes, Valle del Cauca’s health secretary.
Emergency teams were continuing rescue and assessment operations as authorities worked to determine the full extent of the damage and update the number of casualties.
International
Record 230 Migrants Cross English Channel to UK in Single Boat
A record 230 migrants crossed the English Channel overnight Sunday aboard a small inflatable boat bound for the United Kingdom, according to French maritime rescue services and British media, highlighting the growing number of people being packed onto vessels attempting the dangerous crossing.
More than 20 children were among those aboard the inflatable boat when it departed from the northeastern French coast on Sunday night amid chaotic scenes, France’s maritime rescue service SNSM said in an online statement.
The figure surpasses the previous record for the number of people aboard a single boat, set last month when 165 migrants successfully crossed the busy maritime route.
The latest incident comes just days after an inflatable boat carrying more than 150 people capsized in the Channel after its engine caught fire, triggering a major search-and-rescue operation.
Britain’s Home Office did not confirm the exact number of people aboard Sunday’s vessel but condemned what it described as the “reckless and dangerous tactics” used by criminal gangs facilitating the crossings.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Andy Burnham described images of the operation as “shocking,” particularly those showing very young children being placed aboard boats that were not suitable for the journey.
The United Kingdom has spent years attempting to curb these dangerous and politically sensitive Channel crossings. Tens of thousands of migrants have reached the southeastern English coast annually in recent years, keeping the issue at the center of the country’s immigration debate.
International
Joe Biden’s Prostate Cancer Has Spread to His Bones, Son Hunter Reveals
Former U.S. President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has worsened and spread to his bones and other parts of his body, his son Hunter Biden revealed in a recent interview with the BBC.
Biden disclosed in May 2025, just four months after leaving office as the oldest sitting U.S. president in history, that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones.
The former president subsequently began treatment, including radiation and hormone therapy. In July, while announcing the publication of his memoirs, Biden said the treatment was going “really well.”
However, in an extensive interview broadcast Friday night on the BBC’s Newsnight, Hunter Biden said his father’s condition had progressed despite treatment.
“The cancer has spread and metastasized to his bones and other places,” Hunter Biden said.
He added that the illness has been “very painful” and, in many ways, “very debilitating,” but said his father continues to remain active.
“He’s still out there. He’s still doing his thing,” Hunter Biden said, emphasizing that his father remains deeply committed to the United States.
The former president’s diagnosis has remained a subject of public attention since it was first announced, particularly because of his age and his decision to continue a public life after leaving the White House.
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