Briefly

UNITED STATES

Monkeypox case tally exceeds 20,000

The United States has confirmed more than 20,000 monkeypox cases, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. A total of 20,733 known monkeypox cases had been reported nationwide as of Tuesday, CDC data showed. California had the most cases with 3,833.So far the US has logged the world's highest tally of monkeypox cases. The administration of US President Joe Biden has faced criticism in its response to the outbreak, including for its failure to order enough vaccines, speed up treatments and make tests available in the early stages.

Trump ex-aide Bannon faces fresh indictment

Steve Bannon, a prominent associate of former US president Donald Trump, is expected to face a new criminal indictment and surrender to state prosecutors on Thursday, The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Bannon's prosecution will likely mirror aspects of a federal case in which Bannon was pardoned, the newspaper reported on Tuesday. In 2021, Trump granted clemency to Bannon as part of a wave of pardons and commutations issued in his final hours in office. Bannon was charged with swindling the president's supporters in connection with an effort to raise private funds to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. He pleaded not guilty.

CHILE

Charter vote defeat prompts reshuffle

President Gabriel Boric on Tuesday replaced six cabinet ministers after voters rejected a proposed new constitution in a referendum on Sunday. He called on the new government to continue reconciliation efforts to push forward the process of drafting a new constitution. The ministries involved in the reshuffle are the Interior Ministry, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Energy, and the Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation. The Ministry General Secretariat of the Presidency also has a new chief.

Agencies - Xinhua