International
Four complaints in a month for sexual abuse against public figures shake Chile
Four complaints in just one month for alleged abuse and alleged sexual assaults have shaken Chile, which this Thursday saw as the most notable of them, the former Undersecretary of the Interior Manuel Monsalve, one of the most powerful men in the country, was detained at his home in Viña del Mar, more than a month after the complaint was filed.
The so-called ‘Monsalve Case’, the first to explode, on October 17, was succeeded days later by the complaint with preventive imprisonment of the retired soccer player and former figure of the Chilean national team two-time champion of America, Jorge Valdivia, the complaint against Deputy Marcela Riquelme, member of the Frente Amplio, the coalition that supports President Gabriel Boric, and the arrest last weekend of an escort of the President of Vietnam, Luong Cuong, on an official visit to the country.
In addition, a woman accused the captain of the Colo Colo, league champion, and soul of the Chilean soccer team, Arturo Vidal, of sexual abuse in a case that is still in the air.
Monsalve case
The facts of Monsalve’s alleged rape of one of his advisors, according to the complaint, would have occurred on September 22 in a restaurant and hotel in downtown Santiago.
The woman reported that she got up in the undersecretary’s bedroom without remembering what had happened since they left the restaurant and that she discovered evidence that she was sexually forced, so she decided to report it.
Monsalve was arrested this Thursday and the Government has highlighted the facts under the umbrella of the Constitution that ‘in Chile there is no privileged person or group’.
‘Culture of rape’ in Chilean football
After the accusation against the former undersecretary, two new complaints appeared, but this time against the former Colo Colo footballer, Jorge Valdivia, who accused and formalized for rape against the first victim.
The second complainant claims to have suffered the abuse in the athlete’s apartment, after a date in a restaurant and continuing in a nightclub. The victim claims that he had “drugged” her to have sex, and claimed to have woken up in his own home without remembering what had happened.
The reformalization for this second complaint will continue next week, in the meantime, Valdivia will continue to comply with the precautionary measure of house arrest.
Colo Colo, the winning team of the Chilean Super Cup, also took more prominence after the accusation of drugging a woman and allegedly committing a crime and sexual nature by footballer Arturo Vidal and a group of teammates.
There are still no detainees and the name of all those involved is unknown, but Carabineros Colonel Gerardo Aravena confirmed that Vidal, 37, was the only one taken to the police station and subsequently released.
The events occurred in a bar in the capital commune of Vitacura, from where the complaint was also made and where Carabineros registered all those identified.
“Prohibition of returning to Chile”
This Monday, the Government of Chile reported on the complaint of sexual abuse by a member of the security device of the Vietnam delegation, who was on an official visit to the country.
According to local media, the Vietnamese official allegedly sexually abused a worker at the hotel where he was staying.
The subject went to detention and formalization control, and the conditional suspension of the procedure for two years was arranged as an alternative solution and the prohibition of entering the country and approaching the victim was determined.
The case of a deputy
In the fourth, the deputy of the Frente Amplio, Marcela Riquelme, is involved, who this week decided to denounce herself and renounce her affiliation to the progressive party despite the fact that she assures that she is innocent and that there is no formal complaint against her in the Prosecutor’s Office.
The parliamentarian made this decision after the information leaked to the press and the party announced the start of an internal investigation, hinting a possible conspiracy.
“I have been the subject of a complaint and it has been within the party, and that complaint was leaked to the press, causing serious damage not only to the alleged victim, but also to myself, my family, my friends and of course to my team,” said the legislator for the 15th district of the O’Higgins Region, in the center of the country.
“For that reason, I have decided that the complaint is where it has to be, which is in the Courts of Justice and today I have self-denounced. In the same way, and hoping to provide all the necessary means of proof to clarify the truth, with the same transparency that we have always had as a deputation, what we have done is renounce the Frente Amplio,” which he also accused of not supporting it.
International
Florida officials warn against raw milk after dozens sickened
Unprocessed milk from a farm in Florida has sickened at least 21 people, prompting state authorities to issue a public health alert, U.S. media reported Monday.
The 21 cases include six children under the age of 10, all diagnosed with infections caused by E. coli and Campylobacterbacteria linked to raw milk from the farm in the southeastern U.S. state. Local authorities have also warned about the dangers of drinking unpasteurized milk.
Seven people have been hospitalized, two of whom have suffered complications, according to multiple reports.
The Florida Department of Health has urged the public to avoid raw milk consumption and blamed the outbreak on the farm involved—without naming it directly—citing poor sanitary practices.
Florida law prohibits the sale of unprocessed milk for human consumption, although it can be sold if labeled for pets. Pasteurization, which involves heating milk to kill harmful bacteria, is required under U.S. federal regulations for any dairy products sold across states.
Despite these regulations, sales of raw milk have been increasing in recent years, fueled by online promotion from wellness influencers and advocates of unprocessed foods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that raw milk can contain potentially deadly bacteria such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella, which can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea, vomiting, and indigestion to severe complications like kidney failure.
International
Massive wildfire in Southern France kills one, injures nine
Hundreds of firefighters battled on Wednesday to contain a massive wildfire in southern France that has left one person dead and nine others injured.
The blaze, which broke out Tuesday in the Aude department, is the largest recorded in France during the current summer season. Authorities have deployed 1,800 firefighters in an effort to bring it under control.
An elderly woman died in her home in the town of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, while two others were injured—one in serious condition due to burns—according to the local prefecture. Seven firefighters suffered smoke inhalation injuries, and one person remains missing. The wildfire has already scorched an estimated 12,000 hectares of land.
“The fire is spreading very quickly due to unfavorable weather conditions. This is one of the driest areas of the department, and strong winds are fueling the flames,” said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture. Rémi Recio, subprefect for the city of Narbonne, added, “The fire is still spreading and is far from being contained or under control.”
The A9 motorway, which runs along the Mediterranean coast between France and Spain, has been closed in both directions between Narbonne and Perpignan, along with numerous secondary roads.
In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, the smell of smoke lingers over the charred hectares. A helicopter was seen drawing water from the river below the village and dropping it several kilometers away, AFP reporters observed.
A campsite and at least one village were partially evacuated, with 25 houses and around 35 vehicles damaged, according to a preliminary assessment.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced he will visit the affected area on Wednesday.
International
Japan marks 80 years since Hiroshima bombing with call for nuclear disarmament
Japan observed a minute of silence on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a solemn reminder to the world of the horror it unleashed, amid heightened tensions between nuclear powers the United States and Russia.
At exactly 8:15 a.m. local time (23:15 GMT), the moment when the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped the “Little Boy” atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, the city paused to remember.
The bombing claimed an estimated 140,000 lives, not only from the devastating blast and fireball but also from the deadly radiation that followed. Three days later, another bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed 74,000 more. Japan’s surrender on August 15 marked the end of World War II.
On a sweltering morning, hundreds of students, survivors, and officials dressed in black laid flowers at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The city’s mayor, Kazumi Matsui, warned of “an accelerating trend toward military buildup worldwide,” citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated that Japan has a mission “to take the lead toward a world without nuclear weapons.”
Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million people, yet the skeletal remains of one building still stand at its center as a powerful reminder of the tragedy.
Wednesday’s ceremony was attended by representatives from around 120 countries and regions, including delegates from Taiwan and Palestine for the first time.
Among the attendees was 96-year-old Yoshie Yokoyama, who arrived in a wheelchair accompanied by her grandson. She told reporters that her parents and grandparents were victims of the bombing.
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