Following is a summary of current world news briefs.
Chile’s left cheers as Boric win ripples through Latin America
Chile’s left partied into the early hours of Monday with thousands taking to the street with flags and banners in capital Santiago to celebrate the election win of 35-year-old Gabriel Boric, who will become the country’s youngest ever President. Boric, a former student protest leader who leads a leftist coalition and has pledged to overhaul Chile’s economic model, firmly beat out far-right rival Jose Antonio Kast, who quickly conceded defeat, helping give certainty to the result.
Tigray forces to withdraw from neighbouring Ethiopian regions – spokesperson
Rebellious Tigrayan forces fighting the central government are withdrawing from neighbouring regions in northern Ethiopia, a spokesperson for the Tigrayan forces said on Monday, a step towards a possible ceasefire after 13 months of brutal war. “We trust that our bold act of withdrawal will be a decisive opening for peace,” wrote Debretsion Gebremichael, the head of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the political party controlling most of the northern region of Tigray.
Philippine military ordered to deliver typhoon aid as toll crosses 200
The Philippines ordered its military on Monday to send airplanes and naval vessels to carry aid to areas devastated by a powerful typhoon that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and killed more than 200. Many central and southern regions are cut off after Typhoon Rai, the strongest to hit the archipelago this year, downed power and communication links, complicating rescue and relief efforts.
Moderna says booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appears protective vs. Omicron
Moderna Inc said on Monday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine appeared to be protective against the fast-spreading Omicron variant in laboratory testing and that the current version of the vaccine would continue to be Moderna’s “first line of defense against Omicron.” The vaccine maker said the decision to focus on the current vaccine, mRNA-1273, was driven in part by how quickly the recently discovered variant is spreading. The company said it still plans to develop a vaccine to protect against Omicron and hopes to advance into clinical trials early next year.
Russia presses for urgent U.S. response on security guarantees
Russia said on Monday it urgently needed a response from the United States on its sweeping security demands and again warned of a possible Russian military response unless it saw political action to assuage its concerns. Moscow, which has unnerved the West with a troop buildup near Ukraine, last week unveiled a wish list of security proposals it wants to negotiate, including a promise NATO would give up any military activity in Eastern Europe and Ukraine.
At least eight dead in Malaysia floods as rescue effort stumbles
At least eight people have died in floods that have ravaged Malaysia, authorities said on Monday, as the government faced criticism from the public and opposition lawmakers over its rescue efforts. Floods are common on the eastern coast of Malaysia during the annual monsoon season between October and March, but unusually heavy rainfall that started on Friday has put a strain on emergency services across the country.
Prosecutors start closing arguments in Dutch murder trial over downed MH17 flight
Dutch prosecutors on Monday began three days of closing arguments during which they will make their sentencing demand in the 20-month-trial in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. Three Russian and a Ukrainian could face sentences of up to life if found guilty of helping supply the missile system used to fire a rocket at the passenger jet as it flew from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people onboard were killed.
British cabinet to discuss COVID moves as Omicron sweeps Europe
Britain’s cabinet will meet on Monday as pressure grows to slow the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, a day after the Netherlands imposed a fourth lockdown and as other European countries consider putting a squeeze on Christmas. Omicron infections are multiplying rapidly across Europe and the United States, doubling every two or three days in London and elsewhere and taking a heavy toll on financial markets, which fear the impact on the global economic recovery.
Turkey’s crisis rattles the faithful in Erdogan’s heartland
Turkish labourer Hasan Sarikaya says he has no job, no money and no hope for a better future while President Tayyip Erdogan – the leader he supported for years – remains in power. Like many people in the industrial city of Konya in Turkey’s conservative heartlands, which enjoyed an economic boom in the early years of the Erdogan era, Sarikaya has been hit by the crash in the lira, spiralling inflation, and a business slump.
EU voices concern over Polish media bill, impact on press freedom
The European Union said on Monday a Polish law that critics say aims to silence a news channel critical of the government poses severe risks to media freedom and pluralism. Unexpectedly rushed through parliament on Friday, the legislation would tighten rules around foreign ownership of media, specifically affecting the ability of news channel TVN24, owned by U.S. media company Discovery Inc, to operate.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
