The second Regional Symposium on Crime, which is being hosted by Barbados in Guyana, got underway with a warning to criminals from Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley. They have been told Caribbean states will snuff out embers that fuel crime in the region. Dr. Rowley is upbeat, as he reported progress has been made with regard to the CARICOM Arrest Warrant legislation. In his address, President of Guyana Dr. Irfaan Ali focused on the impact crime is having on regional economies. He says states are spending up to 31% of their expenditure directly and indirectly in the crime fight. President Ali says research shows the majority of crimes are being committed by young men. “Violence as a Public Health Issue – The Crime Challenge” is the theme for the Symposium. Heads of Government will also participate in roundtable discussions focusing on cultural influences on crime, the role of music and its influence on crime and the reform of the criminal justice sector and offender management.

(CNN) — An assertive group of cross-country travellers pinned and duct-taped an unruly passenger mid-flight this week after he allegedly tried to force open a plane door at 30,000 feet, according to public safety records and someone onboard. The tussle on the Milwaukee-to-Dallas-Fort Worth flight is the latest example of apparent air passenger misbehaviour – a problem that’s worsened for airlines since before the pandemic, with at least 1,854 incidents reported this year to the Federal Aviation Administration. Aboard American Airlines 1915, the disruptive passenger told a flight attendant in the front galley on Tuesday’s flight he wanted – he needed – “to exit the aircraft now,” according to a report from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Department of Public Safety. As the man grew increasingly agitated and the situation got tenser, the flight attendant called to the back of the plane and signalled to nearby passengers for help, the report says. Then, as she put herself between the plane’s exit L1 door and the disruptive passenger, he rushed toward her and the door – hurting her neck and wrist – the report states. That’s when nearby passengers, including Doug McCright, rushed in, he told CNN affiliate WDJT. McCright bear-hugged the unruly passenger from behind and pinned him to the ground. “He was bound and determined, he wanted off that plane,” McCright said. “I was bound and determined, he wasn’t getting off that plane.” The interveners got duct tape from another flight attendant and wrapped the man’s wrists, knees and ankles together to subdue him, then held him for about 30 minutes, according to the report and an account McCright posted online. After the plane landed safely at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, FBI and airport Department of Public Safety agents boarded it, detained the passenger and took him for a mental evaluation, the report says. The FAA will investigate the incident aboard the Airbus A319, it told CNN in a statement. “The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we thank our team members and customers for managing a difficult situation,” American Airlines told CNN in a statement. Unruly passengers posed a serious problem to airlines before the pandemic – and it’s even worse now. The FAA has a zero-tolerance policy for unruly passenger behaviour, which surged to a record high in 2021, with nearly 6,000 incidents reported. Reports have declined significantly since then, but 2023 still saw more than 2,000 incidents, FAA figures show. In 2023, just over 400 enforcement actions were initiated and $7.5 million in fines were levied against such passengers. Just last month, a man was charged with the unprovoked beating of a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight after he repeatedly punched the person until blood was drawn. In September, a passenger allegedly tried to choke a flight attendant and “said he was going to kill everybody” aboard a Frontier Airlines flight. The plane was diverted, and the man has pleaded not guilty to federal charges, court records show.

(CNN) — The deaths of six foreign tourists linked to a suspected mass methanol poisoning have thrown a spotlight on a small town in Southeast Asia that has worked hard in recent years to shed its reputation for excess. Vang Vieng, a popular backpacker destination in northern Laos, is at the centre of an unfolding tragedy after several Western nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom, confirmed their citizens had died in Laos in recent days and warned of the potentially fatal consequences of drinking tainted alcohol in the country. Though the complete circumstances of those deaths remain unclear, the link to suspected methanol poisoning has thrust Laos and its vital tourism industry into the spotlight — and revived memories of Vang Vieng’s sometimes dark recent past. Known for its stunning karst scenery and relaxed vibe, the town on the Song River is an idyllic stopping point for travellers between the capital Vientiane and UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Luang Prabang. “Discovered” by Western shoestring travellers in the late 1990s, the town quickly evolved from an agricultural community to a hedonistic party centre. But the party turned sour when a string of fatal accidents linked to poor safety standards and a culture of excess along the river made international headlines, forcing local authorities to step in. In the early- to mid-2000s, Vang Vieng gained a notorious reputation on the Southeast Asian “banana pancake” trail for its wild parties and river tubing culture, along with the wide availability of cheap alcohol and illicit drugs. Laos has tried to rebrand Vang Vieng as less of a party destination. In 2012, the government closed down many of the cheap bars that catered to the backpacker crowd and pivoted toward becoming more of an adventure travel and eco-tourism hot spot. Vang Vieng and its mountainous surroundings are a base for outdoor activities, including kayaking, jungle trekking, parasailing, tubing and rock climbing. And in recent years, the town has become popular with a broader range of tourists, especially among families and tour groups from South Korea and neighbouring China. But now, Vang Vieng’s drinking culture is back in the news. As reports of tourists’ deaths emerged in recent days, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Canada and the US all issued statements urging their citizens to be cautious about drinking alcohol in Laos. “(We are) aware of a number of cases of suspected methanol poisoning in Vang Vieng, possibly through the consumption of methanol-laced alcoholic drinks,” the US Embassy in Vientiane said in a health alert Friday. “Please be alert to the potential risk of methanol poisoning, especially when consuming spirit-based alcoholic drinks.” The alert also advised travellers in Laos to “purchase alcoholic beverages and drinks from licensed liquor stores, bars, and hotels,” not drink any homemade alcoholic beverages, and to check bottles for signs of tampering or mislabeling. The warning came after the US State Department confirmed to CNN that an American citizen had died in Vang Vieng. It did not give a reason for the person’s death but said the US was “closely monitoring the situation and providing consular assistance.” Tourism is a key source of revenue for Laos, a landlocked nation of about 7 million people that is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, and which lags behind neighbours Vietnam and Thailand when it comes to attracting visitors. According to Laotian government data, 2.6 million international tourists have visited Laos in 2024. The three largest visitor groups are Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese, with “other notable sources” of inbound visitors from France, the UK, Russia, Japan and the US. A “Laos Year 2024” initiative was launched this year with a goal of bringing in 4.6 million tourists and generating $712 million. (Photo: Anupam Nath/AP via CNN Newsource)