The presidential elections in Chile will go to a run-off between the far-right candidate José Antonio Kast, and Gabriel Boric from the Apruebo Dignidad coalition (“Approve Dignity”: a conglomerate involving the leftist coalition Frente Amplio, plus the Communist Party). This comes after a first round where Kast won 28 percent and Boric obtained 26 percent of the vote, a difference of 150,000.

A worrying new variant of COVID-19 has emerged, designated B.1.1.529 or Omicron. This strain was an inevitable product of the reckless pursuit of short-term capitalist interests, which are dragging out this seemingly endless pandemic nightmare.