Left wins in Chile
La Prenza says voters in Chile elected a left-leaning special assembly to draft a new constitution. The result delivered a major blow to President Sebastian Piñera’s conservative coalition, which won only 37 seats in the 155-member assembly, thus falling short of securing at least one-third of the delegates needed to have veto power over new articles in the constitution. About 70% of the assembly’s seats went to left-leaning groups and independent delegates.
UN: Working 55-hour week increases death risk
Working more than 55 hours a week increases the risk of death from heart disease and strokes, according to a United Nations study. The study, published in the Environment International journal, is the first global analysis of the risks to life and health associated with working long hours.
5,000 illegal immigrants arrive in Spain
Cuetaldia says the number of migrants who managed to cross the border between Morocco and Spain and reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on Monday has risen to at least 5,000, including a thousand minors. By swimming or on foot, the arrivals of migrants who leave the Moroccan beaches located a few kilometres south of Ceuta multiplied from morning to evening.
20 dead as cyclone hits India
According to Times of India, cyclone Tauktae has killed at least 20 people when it hit the west coast of India with winds of up to 185 kilometers per hour and waves of up to three metres. The much needed anti-COVID vaccination programme was also interrupted when streets turned into rivers, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee.
Argentina suspends export of beef
Clarin reports Argentina has suspended beef exports for 30 days to fight domestic price increases. The country is the fourth largest exporter of beef in the world with around 819,000 tonnes shipped overseas in 2020.
Biden expresses support for ceasefire
US President Joe Biden has expressed “his support for a ceasefire” in the Israeli-Hamas hostitilies and discussed “US engagement with Egypt and other partners for this purpose.” A White House statement quoted by CNN says Biden phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and “reiterated his firm support for Israel’s right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks”. The UN, the US and the UK have called for more protection for the civilians caught in the intense violence which has seen more than 212 people, including 61 children, die in Gaza, and 10, including two children, in Israel.
Abu Mazen to US envoy: ‘Stop Israeli aggression’
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Abu Mazen has received the US State Department envoy, Hadi Amr, in Ramallah. Wafa news agency, says Abu Mazen asked the US “to intervene to put an end to Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people, to stop that escalation and to start efforts to reach a political solution based on international legitimacy”.
